No One's Here To Sleep
by melissawtf
Summary: Caroline doesn't like having Steve in D.C but with her vacation officially starting, well a girl can't complain too much since her vacation will be spent with him. But before she can officially leave, all hell breaks loose and no one knows who they can trust anymore as Hydra comes out of the shadows. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE. Part 3 of 3.
1. Chapter 1

**For the sake of my sanity, I will be ignoring IM3, Thor: TDW, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. And since I was terrified of writing this because it brings in the events of CA: TWS, this fic will be Caroline-centric and follow her. Which means.. there won't be as much action as the movie itself but fear not, Caroline won't sit out the entire time ;) She'll have her chance to fight for the good guys :)**

_**Summary: **__Caroline doesn't like having Steve in D.C but with her vacation officially starting, well a girl can't complain too much since her vacation will be spent with him. But before she can officially leave, all hell breaks loose and no one knows who they can trust anymore as Hydra comes out of the shadows._

_However, when events are all said and done, finding one on one time proves to be hard for Steve and Caroline._

_No one ever said dating an Avenger would be easy. Let alone living with all of them._

_Follows the events of 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier'.. and then some ;)_

* * *

Caroline grunts as she lands harshly on her back, rolling across the matted floor a few times before coming to a stop. She scowls as she quickly clambers back to her feet in a crouch, one hand hanging at her side as the other one touches down on the mat between her legs to help her keep balance. Two braids fall over her shoulder as she stares down Iron Man nearly twenty feet away.

Face plate sliding up, Tony smirks triumphantly at her. "Come on, Little Bit, is that all you got? I know assassins one and two have been training you since lover boy left. Don't hold back on the vampire goodies."

Caroline's lips curl into a smirk and she gives him a terse nod. "You asked for it."

The whites of her eyes bleed red and the veins beneath her eyes pulse hungrily. "That's what I'm talking about," Tony chuckles. The face plate slides back in place and without warning, he's flying back from a powerful hit to the chest.

The thrusters in his suit are quick to stabilize him mid-air but as he's scanning his surroundings in front of him for his darling little vampire, a weight is suddenly dropping on his shoulders. All he sees next are thighs wrapping around his face and before he can shake Caroline off, his top is too heavy and he's falling forward. But before he can hit the ground, he feels a kick to his right boot, JARVIS is talking about damage in his ear, and then he's soaring through the air once more.

Hitting the far wall with _oomph_, Tony slides to the floor and is grunting as the face plate slides up and he finds Caroline crouching before him, a fangy smirk making him pout. "Did you really have to damage my suit?"

"You told me not to hold back."

"_Sir,_" JARVIS cuts off any further gloating from Caroline. "_It appears Mr. Odinson has arrived on the rooftop_."

_Odinson_, Caroline mouths just as Tony answers, "Send him here, J. I wanna see if a vampire can match a demi-God's strength."

"_Right away, Sir._"

"Demi-God?" Caroline finally stands straight, offering Tony a hand so he could stand on his own two feet. "You mean Thor, right?"

"Got it one, Potts Jr. You up for the challenge?"

"I'm game. But if I die, JARVIS is telling Steve you peer pressured me into sparring with the lightning God."

Tony considers her words before shrugging, manually slipping off pieces of his suit. "Deal."

Caroline laughs at him, walking side-by-side with Tony until they reach their bench where their towels and water bottles are resting. As Caroline sips her water and blood mixture, she tucks the loose strands of hair behind her ears before wiping down her body and ridding herself of the sweat. Even in a sports bra and work out tights, she sweated up a storm sparring with Iron Man.

When Thor finally appears in the gym, Caroline has a split second of vulnerability where she's just in complete awe of the Asgardian in all his battle ready glory. His hair is just passed his shoulders, half being held back in a loose ponytail and glorious scruff covering the lower half of his face.

"Ah, Man of Iron," Thor greets jovially, his legendary hammer gripped lightly in hand. "It pleases me to see you once again."

"Yeah, yeah. Same here, Point Break," Tony waves him off, striding up to Thor so casually and patting him on the bicep. "What brings you back to Midgard so soon after your departure?"

"Lady Jane, of course," he smiles, gaze briefly darting to Caroline which causes her to discontinue her ogling and suddenly find her bottled water very interesting before returning his attention to Tony. "And my S.H.I.E.L.D brethren. I had hoped to see you all again before leaving for Asgard in a few days time."

Before Tony can reply, Caroline's easing her way into their space. "Sorry to break it to 'ya, Big Guy, but Steve and Natasha are away for a job."

Thor falls silent, his gaze now lingering on Caroline in confusion. After a few awkward seconds pass, Tony snorts. "Right, yeah, she's new here," he tells Thor. "Little Bit has helped out a time or two when we were in dire need."

"Helped?" Thor's eyebrow quirks in curiosity. "But she is tiny."

"There's a lot more to some people than what you see on the surface," Caroline tells him, her vampire visage slipping to the surface for a quick moment before melting away.

Thor's eyes widen in surprise, hammer twitching in hand, but Tony nudges him with a laugh. "She's on our side. Caroline's actually the Captain's lady love."

"Friend Steve is courting this mystical creature?" he asks, earning a snort from Caroline. "What exactly are you, little one?"

Caroline fidgets, nervously biting her lower lip as she looks to Tony. And with a shrug of indifference from Tony, Caroline turns back to Thor. "What I am is being held a secret between Director Fury and the Avengers. I hope that you will keep the secret now since you are a part of this team?"

"Of course," Thor straightens, his right hand forming a fist and touching the breast plate over his heart. "Any secret of yours is safe with me."

Caroline grins at Thor's brief little bow, trying to keeping her giggles in when she sees Tony rolling his eyes. "Okay, well, I'm a vampire."

"A vampire?"

"Yeah, you know," Tony gestures with his hand offhandedly. "Creature of the night. Drinks blood. Super strength and hearing. Burns in the sunlight. Can only be killed by a stake to the heart, fire, or decapitation."

Thor looks impressed, his eyes gaze darting up and down Caroline's form. "And you are a vampire?"

"Yes."

"Sure is," Tony assures him. "If you don't believe us, try sparring with her. It's fun. My suit just got put down for the day," he gestures to where his suit lays in pieces.

Thor chuckles. "I believe, Man of Iron," he says as he gestures to his own face. "The eyes and teeth made me a believer but I am curious."

"About?"

"About your strength," he smiles as he answers Caroline. "It would be an honor to spar, little one."

Caroline beams at Thor's easy acceptance, capping her water bottle and nodding. "No hammer. I can probably take the punches but I doubt I can survive a hit from mj- ml-"

"Mjölnir." Thor chuckles.

"Yeah, that. I can take being tossed around but a hit from mj- ml-," Tony and Thor look absolutely amused by Caroline not being able to pronounce _mjölnir_, so she stomps her foot in retaliation and crosses her arms over her chest in annoyance. "Oh, you know what I'm talking about!"

Thor beams, setting the hammer on the floor by his feet. The moment he reaches back to unclasp his flowing red cape, the armor from his arms just magically disappear, leaving him ready to spar.

Thor and Caroline walk towards the middle of the mat, and Tony giddily settles down to watch the demi-God and vampire.

The two opponents circle each other when they hit the middle of the gym, both smiling at what's about to go down. One second they're cautiously circling and the next, both forms collide together. Arms lock onto each other, Thor's hands on Caroline's shoulders while hers only manage to reach his biceps, and for a moment Caroline wonders how hilarious they must look given their height differences.

Thor obviously has more strength seeing as he keeps pushing Caroline back but the vampire is not giving up without a fight. The second she digs deep for her strength, her fangs descend with a snarl and her eyes bleed red. Thor chuckles as Caroline's feet finally find grip on the mat, she stalling his process of pushing her back and with a grunt, she sends him scrambling a few steps back.

"For a petite thing, you're mighty strong," Thor booms. "Steven has chosen a worthy mate."

"Yeah, well, you haven't seen anything yet, my friend."

And before Thor can laugh at Caroline's attempt to overpower him, she's suddenly jumping up and planting her feet on his thighs. Thor's eyebrows rise high in surprise and when Caroline's hands move to clasp behind his head, she's immediately falling back and pulling him with all her strength.

Caroline hits her back on the mat, continuing to roll Thor with their gathered momentum, and sends him sailing back and over her head.

She continues to roll backwards over her own head until she's crouched back on her feet, using her vampire speed to turn around in time to see Thor crash to the floor a few feet away.

With a jovial laugh, Thor climbs to his feet while brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Most excellent. Again!"

There's no dancing around each other this time, and instead, both are eager to meet in the middle. Thor swipes with a fist first but Caroline's quick to block, her tiny knees meeting his sides in a quick succession but not doing much damage. In fact, every hit Caroline's knees make have the Thunder God chuckling. And every time Thor attempts to catch Caroline in a hold, she dodges his grasping hands with her vampire reflexes and surprises him on the other side with a series of hits from her small fists.

Thor laughs through their entire spar and Caroline finally makes the mistake of jumping on his back after dodging his many attempts of catching her. She tries climbing up but Thor reaches back with a grin, one large hand clamping on the back of her neck. As she curses softly, she swears she sees Tony in her peripheral vision with his phone pointed at them, and then she's the one sailing through the air.

She feels like a cat trying to twist her body in mid-air to land how she wants but she doesn't have the time and lands on her back and elbows, a sickening _crunch!_ echoing in the air.

Caroline yells out of instinct, her face scrunched in pain as she cradles her now inverted elbow. She can hear Thor and Tony running towards her so she's quick to sit up, her good arm cradling her broken one.

"I am truly sorry," Thor frowns. "I did not mean to cause you harm."

"It's fine. I'm okay," she grimaces.

"You need to be looked at as soon as possible."

"Nah, s'totally fine, Point Break," Tony swats the Asgardian's chest. "She'll heal."

"She'll.. heal?"

"I'll.. heal." Caroline nods. Taking a deep breath, Caroline locks gazes with Tony. "I need you to pull on my arm."

Tony's smile quickly vanishes. "Pull your," he nervously chuckles. "Yeah, no."

"Tony, come on! I need the bones to be straight so it'll heal."

"Yeah, it's a no go, Little Bit. You can go to the medical wing."

"I'm not going to medic, Tony," she argues. "Thor? Can you lend a helping hand here? I just need you pull my arm straight so it'll heal right."

"A-are you sure?" he questions. "I do not wish to further injure you."

"I'm sure," she grits out. "Just don't use too much strength. I want to keep my arm."

Thor prepares himself as Caroline instructs him where to grab hold and when to yank, and when he does as told and there's yet another sickening _crunch!_, Caroline can't help but smile through the pain as Tony pales behind Thor's shoulder.

"There," she sighs and gently bends her elbow only to straighten it back out again. "All healed."

Thor takes Caroline's outstretched arm very gently, hands smoothing over her elbow. "Truly marvelous," he murmurs. "Are all vampires like you?"

"You mean do they all heal like me? Yes," Caroline answers and Thor's grin widens. "But not all vampires are good," she admits and his grin falters. "Vampires are very intelligent and deadly creatures. It's rare that you find one on the good side of things."

Thor solemnly nods in understanding, finally offering his hand for Caroline to take so he can pull her up to her feet. Once they're all situated, Thor kindly smiles down on her. "Then I am glad the Captain found a good one."

"Well, technically, Pepper found her-" Tony interrupts but Caroline's quick to jab in the ribs with her elbow.

"Me too, Thor. Me too." Caroline smiles sweetly and ignores Tony's pout.

**XxX**

Tony, Thor, and Caroline end up having an early dinner; the trio forgoing any type of cleaning up in favor of slumping at the kitchen bar on the communal floor and stuffing their faces.

That was where Bruce and Pepper found them, Tony smiling around a mouth full of food as Thor talked battle tactics with Caroline who- bless her undead soul- was actually taking very seriously. But the second Tony started pouring drinks, Caroline called it a day and fled to the elevator before Tony could get her wasted. Though it took a bit more alcohol than usual to get Caroline drunk, Tony didn't mind wasting the good stuff as long as tipsy!Caroline had come out to play.

And now standing alone in her bedroom, Caroline's tiredly collecting clothes to lay out on her bed for after she's bathed. But before she can find anything comfortable to lounge around in, her phone's ringing out with the lyrics_ 'Cause I don't need this life; I just need somebody to die for_.

A smile instantly blossoms and she's racing for her phone, the song having made her instantly think of Steve the first time she heard it. And then when she played it for him on one of their stay-at-home date nights, well, the night ended with the both of them pushing their super soldier and vampire stamina to it's limits.

It was a really, really good night.

Finding it before the call can go to voicemail, Caroline quickly answers with a breathy, "Hello?"

"_Hey, doll,_" Steve chuckles. "_Bad time?_"

"No, no," she grins from ear to ear even though he can't see. "I just couldn't find my phone. Found it at the last second."

"_You and that darn phone. I'm surprised Stark hasn't just implanted a device in your brain yet that acts as a phone since you keep losing yours._"

"Yeah, well," she laughs nervously. "-would you trust Stark to implant new technology that's never been tested in your head? I don't think so." Hearing Steve chuckle on the line is soothing to Caroline's being so she settles down on the couch and lets herself sink into the cushions. "What are you up to?"

"_Nothing. A bit sore so I'm catching up on rest_."

"I see," Caroline sighs. "Bad mission?"

Steve's quiet for a moment but then he, too, sighs. "_Not entirely. It had its twists and turns but it was still a success_."

"I'm glad to hear that," she murmurs honestly. "I knew what I was in for when we started dating but it still sucks."

"_I know, sweetheart._"

"How's Natasha doing?" she then decides to ask. "She staying out of trouble?"

"_She likes to think she is_." Caroline can practically hear the exasperation in his voice, a grin already curving her lips because whatever Natasha did obviously annoyed her boyfriend. "_She keeps throwing out possible date candidates in front of the team to make it seem like I'm a loner. And trust me, there a lot of single ladies in this agency_."

Caroline snorts, mentally praising Natasha for annoying Steve. It was also one of her favorite past times.. especially if she could make him blush. "Suck it up, bub. She's doing you a favor of making people think you're still naïve about the modern world."

"_I know, I know. But if she doesn't slow down, I'm going to put Sam on her tail. He seemed interested the other day._"

"And who is this Sam you speak of?"

"_Oh, uh,_" Steve startles. "_He's a guy that I've been crossing paths with recently while on my morning jog. Good guy; a veteran. He saw me as Steve, not Captain America_."

"Ooh, nice. I like him already," Caroline says. "Just don't get him killed. Or yourself. Nat's totally gonna kill you if you get him to chase her like a puppy."

Steve laughs again, low and throaty, and Caroline closes her eyes at the sound. She's really missed him these last few months that he's been away and is glad that vacation for her starts just in two days. Steve might still be on call but at least she'll be there to welcome him home if the mission didn't last longer than her stay.

Just two days and they'll be reunited in D.C.

Just two more days.


	2. Chapter 2

Caroline sits atop a metal table in Tony and Bruce's lab, popping blueberry after blueberry into her mouth as said two scientists play across the room. Bonnie had finally lent them an magical necklace that she had come into possession of, letting them scan and prod to their heart's content to see if technology could pick up on the magical signature. And apparently, after much tinkering, technology is working in their favor if the excited _science!talk_ is anything to go by. But of course, Caroline's not paying them any attention and is instead concentrating on tossing blueberries into the air, and then catching them in her mouth.

The whirring of Tony's machine starts to get a little bit louder than it should, and a blue and white light start emanating from said scanner and necklace, getting so bright that Caroline has to squint against the light and turn her face away. "Uh, guys? I think you should-"

_Poof!_

Caroline startles at the sound, she nearly dropping her bag of blueberries. When she looks towards Tony and Bruce again, they're standing frozen in place since it was mainly just sound and a cloud of smoke that's billowing up towards the ceiling. A moment of panic rushes over her because she knows Bruce doesn't like surprises- and she's yet to meet the Hulk and would really rather keep it that way- but then her lips are curling into a smile and she can't help the bubbling laughter.

Since she's been coming into the labs, any and all mishaps usually ended up with explosions and fire. And while this was technically an explosion, it was a _poof _of an explosion with no fire and no damage, which just makes the situation all the more ridiculous; even more so when Stark and Banner finally turn to chastise her for laughing. Their protective glasses get pushed up, leaving a clean portion of skin compared to whatever smoke the magic _poofed _in their faces and dirtied what wasn't protected. Caroline tries to bite her lip to keep from laughing but their glowers has her cracking up even more.

"Okay. All right," Tony rolls his eyes. "Calm down before you break something."

"I'm sorry. I'm really trying not to laugh," she says as the laughs continue to flow. "But you two look absolutely ridiculous. You're supposed to move away from the eerie glow, not lean in closer."

"Yeah, yeah. Berry me or get out. Bruce and I don't need you laughing at our mistakes."

Bruce huffs a low chuckle, moving aside to go clean up and read what information they managed to gather while Caroline allows herself a few more seconds of laughter. Finally sitting up straight and retrieving a blueberry from her bag, Caroline aims for Tony's now opened mouth but since her form is slightly shaking from her giggles, her aim is off and she ends up pegging him in the forehead.

"You have terrible aim, Forbes."

"And you're a horrible scientist. Go clean your face."

Tony narrows his eyes on her for a split second before shrugging and opening his mouth wide open again, and this time she doesn't miss when she aims yet another blueberry. He immediately clamps his mouth shut and crushes the berry between his teeth, smiling wide as he chews and follows Bruce to clean himself up as well.

She'd just gone back to digging through her bag for more berries to pop into her mouth when her cell rings out, Hurts' _Somebody To Die For _filling the air. In her moment of excitement, the berry bag drops to the table and scatters a few berries here and there, and Caroline quickly cleans up before she retrieves her phone.

"You two are sickeningly adorable. Stop it."

"Shove it, Tony."

She smiles from ear to ear when her phone's finally free from her jean's pocket, Steve's picture taking up the entire screen. And hopping down from the table, she answers with a cheerful, "Anxious much? My plane leaves in a few-"

"_Where are you?"_

The low serious tone of his voice is enough for Caroline to freeze, her smile instantly vanishing. "At the tower. What's happening?" And her voice- with her cheerful pitch and playfulness vanishing- now has Tony and Bruce turning towards her only to find her tense and at unease. "Steve?"

"_Have Tony lock down the tower. Don't trust anyone. SHIELD's been compromised."_

Eyes widening, Caroline gulps. "S-SHIELD's been compromised? What the hell are you talking about?!"

Tony and Bruce are by Caroline's side in an instant, she quickly switching her phone over to speaker. _"It's Fury. He's been attacked and they're prepping him for surgery. It's not looking too good." _The three in the room are stunned into silence, Steve sighing heavily over the phone and Caroline can finally hear the bustling of nurses and doctors in the background. _"Something big is going on and I have a feeling this is only the beginning of it. Stay at the tower and-"_

"No!" she practically yelps. "I need to be there with you."

"_Caroline-"_

"Don't bother, Steve. If they took down Fury and you don't know who to trust than who better than me? I'm on your side, you know that."

"_I do know that but-"_

"No buts."

Steve sighs yet again and Tony finally speaks up. "We'll keep an eye on things from here, Cap. I can have Caroline to you within the hour on one of my new jets."

"_Stark, I'm not sure-"_

"Jesus Christ, Steven Grant Rogers, if you try to tell me to stay put again so help me.."

"_Fine." _He immediately caves. _"But just so you know, this place is crawling with SHIELD. If I give you any type of signal, you walk the other way without looking back. Understood?"_

"Understood."

The phone line goes dead and Tony immediately starts badgering JARVIS to get his personal pilot ready to go within fifteen minutes. Bruce is still rather shocked, he working on his breathing exercises as Caroline stares numbly at her phone.

"Forbes? Caroline!" Tony calls out, startling her to hurry and stash her phone back in her pocket. "Stay with us, Little Bit. We can't have you checking out. Steve needs you."

"SHIELD's been compromised," she mutters, eyes fluttering quickly to dash away any tears as she locks gazes with Tony. "Bonnie's with SHIELD."

As her words sink in, Tony swears softly before nodding along to whatever his brain is telling him. "Barton. I'll get a hold of Barton and tell him to grab the witch, and then get their asses to the tower."

"But Steve said-"

"I know what Steve said," Tony cuts her off, a wild look in his eyes. "But it's Barton, Caroline. _Clint. _He has to be on the right side of all this because if the guy who dresses up my robots for fun is a bad guy then we're all screwed. We have to take the chance and guess that he's good for Bonnie's sake."

"But still," Caroline gulps. "-what if it turns out he can't be trusted?"

Tony's shoulders sag as he thinks about the what if's and Bruce comes up to lay a hand on Caroline's shoulder. "I'll get Bonnie on the phone first then; tell her to force a premonition to see if Clint can be trusted. She can do that, yes?"

"I- I think so."

"Then good. We'll call Bonnie and then call Clint. We'll tell them to get to the tower as soon as possible without drawing any attention."

Caroline shakily nods, taking a deep breath and then facing Bruce. "Thank you."

"No problem. Now get. Go help the Captain."

She feebly grins at him, her gaze ping ponging from him and Tony before settling on Bruce once more. "Stay safe."

"Of course."

"I mean it, Bruce. These guys got to Fury. _Fury! _You're gonna have to depend on the Hulk here, let him get a feel for the people around you."

"What? No. I can't let him out."

"I'm not saying to," she says, hands slowly coming up to cup his face. "Dig deep inside yourself, B. Your instincts are _his_ instincts. If something feels wrong, grab Tony and Pepper and leave. Hulk out then if you need to but you need to trust your instincts. From what I've seen, he wants to protect the team as much as you do."

Bruce gulps, gaze locked on to Caroline's when she sees a few specks of color flicker green in his eyes. She flashes him a brief grin to which he returns with a terse nod.

"Excuse me," Tony scoffs. "I'm not leaving the tower."

And whirling on him, Caroline narrows her eyes, her fear replaced by anger. "You will if it's been compromised. It's happened once and it can happen again. And if JARVIS is capable of being hacked then so are the suits. Hold the fort down here but if push comes to shove, your lives are more important than a building. Pull the plug on J until you can get the tower back under control. No offense, JARVIS, I'm just saying."

"_None taken, Miss Caroline. I see where you are coming from and I wholeheartedly agree."_

"Traitor," Tony scowls.

"I'm serious, Tony," Caroline's features soften now. "I know this tower is your baby but you can always rebuild. Your lives are way more important."

Tony wants to argue, he does, but the sincerity she's showing has him agreeing far quicker than what he normally would. No one other than Pepper had cared this much about him- the Avengers not included- and to have this much devotion warms him deep to his bones.

"We'll leave if the fight comes here. Now go," he nods towards the door. "Happy's waiting for you in the garage. He'll take you to the airport where you'll board one of my newest creations. You'll possibly get to D.C before Fury comes out of surgery."

And just like that, the somber mood sets back in.

"Thank you. And keep me updated about Bonnie," she says to both of them. "I need to know she's safe."

"You might wanna take your own advice, Forbes. You're heading straight into the fight. Stay safe."

"Always am."

**XxX**

By the time Caroline gets to the Hospital, the building is nearly surrounded by law enforcement vehicles and black unmarked SUVs, all with their lights flashing red and blue. Armed men in black tactical clothing and various law enforcement agencies clutter nearly every entrance and exit, the SHIELD personnel easily identified with the windbreakers and caps that bear their agency's logo.

She slips inside fairly easily, avoiding making eye contact with any agents and tries to mask her determination to find Steve in the building. Agents with comms visible at the ears pass her up, she discreetly following them while also trying to pretend she's not sure where it is she's going. And when all they lead her to is more agents, she gives up and stops near a vending machine, looking at all the snacks while tucking her loose hair behind her ear.

Taking a deep breath, Caroline concentrates on her hearing and prays that Steve starts talking so she can follow the sound of his voice.

"_Captain, they want you back at SHIELD."_

Even though _Captain _could mean anyone- there are a lot of ranks within the agency- she listens for the reply anyway and is rewarded for her efforts. _"Yeah, give me a second." _And that's definitely Steve's voice.

With a relieved sigh, Caroline starts heading in that direction.

"_They want you now."_

"...o_kay."_

She frowns at Steve's obvious hesitation, trying to hurry without looking like she's in a hurry and gaining someone's attention. On her way, she hears Natasha's voice and Steve's once more, and only knows she's in the right spot when she sees numerous of SHIELD agents crowding one specific hall. She stops in her tracks, weighing her options when a majority of them are suddenly on the move. Pressing herself up against the wall, she feebly smiles at a couple of agents who spot her but she's very thankful that none of them recognize her. To them, she's just another visitor trying to get to whoever she's there to see.

Once the SHIELD personnel file out, a group of men in tactical clothing with comms visible at their ears and shirt necklines come next. One man in particular catches Caroline's eye, he being a good head taller than her with dark colored hair and scruff. He's older and good looking with just the right amount of mystery to him but that's just it.. he's a mystery. A stranger.

He slowly smirks at her as he passes, eyeing her up and down, and Caroline shudders under his gaze. Steve's words ring back in her mind about not trusting anyone and she immediately wants to punch this guy in the throat.

When she finally manages to tear her eyes from him, she looks back down the hall and finds Steve walking her way. Just the way he's carrying himself, Caroline knows he's pissed and on edge. So when she briefly grins at him, his jaw clenches even tighter and he gives the briefest shake of his head. He avoids eye contact so her own gaze immediately falls to her shoes and when he's passing her up, he murmurs, _"Hide until I find you."_

He says it so low that even Caroline has trouble hearing it but she gets his message loud and clear. She waits until the hall clears out to start moving but before she takes Steve's words to heart, she remembers that she also heard Natasha. So wanting to figure out what's going on, she heads down the hall where she saw Steve coming from and finds Natasha standing by a vending machine, and practically glaring at it.

"You know," Caroline mutters, faintly startling the redhead. "-I don't think you can glare a machine into submission."

Natasha meets Caroline's gaze through the plexiglass reflection, faintly nodding in greeting. "Anything is possible. What are you doing here, Caroline?"

"Got a call," she shrugs, keeping her voice low and making it seem as if she was waiting in line for some snacks since some SHIELD agents lingered in the hall. "Fury was attacked and Steve's paranoid. How's he doing, by the way? Steve was escorted out and told me to hide."

Natasha actually breaks character in their little act, whirling on Caroline with calculating eyes. Caroline can easily pick up on the redness of her friend's eyes, signaling that she'd been crying but doesn't say anything about it. "What did Rogers tell you?"

And the urgency of Natasha's voice has Caroline feeling very uneasy. "Nat, what's going on?"

"I need to know what he told you. Word for word. Now."

"No, not now," her brows pull together in confusion and her voice gets a hard edge to it. "What the hell's going on, Nat? First Steve and now you?"

Natasha blinks rapidly, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. She quickly scans the halls for anyone paying attention to them and when she spots no one, she grabs Caroline by the bicep and drags her to the nearest empty room.

"What do you know?"

"Only what Steve told me," Caroline rips her arm free. "What the hell is going on? What's with all the secrets?"

"You tell me," Natasha deadpans, her gaze darting between Caroline and the window to make sure no one sees them. "Fury was shot in Steve's apartment and shows up here with more wounds than the bullets were capable of making. Then Steve has the audacity to lie to my face about not knowing what Director Fury was doing there in the first place. So you tell me, Caroline, do you know what secrets your boyfriend is keeping? I'd like to bring the men who killed Fury to justice."

Caroline jolts as if she's been slapped, her eyes getting glossier by the seconds. "K-killed? Fury's dead?" The question is asked softly, enough that it confuses Natasha and thinking that Caroline really doesn't know what's going on either. So with a terse nod from agent, Caroline has her answer. Her bottom lip trembles and then after a moment she's quickly giving her head a shake to shake off any lingering emotion as she blows out a deep breath. "Steve called right before they took N-Nick into surgery," she finally admits. "H-He said SHIELD had been compromised and not to trust _anyone_. He even went as far as getting Tony to lock down the tower."

"That's all?"

Gulping, Caroline nods. "That's it. He didn't even want me here because he doesn't know who to trust. And if he doesn't know," she suddenly trails off, eyes searching Natasha's face before taking a step back. "-then that means he doesn't trust you."

"Yeah, well if it helps, I'm not exactly trusting him either," her jaw clenches. "He won't talk to me."

"Because this place is crawling with SHIELD and if he's right, and the agency's been compromised, the enemy is standing right under your nose. Has been the entire time."

Natasha crosses her arms over her chest, gaze landing on the window and watching as doctors pass by without noticing their presence. "It's something bigger," she murmurs mostly to herself. "-and I'm going to figure it out. You," she finally gives Caroline her attention again. "-you need to lay low. Check into a hotel somewhere and wait until either Steve or I find you."

Caroline can sense the simmering anger, she only agreeing because she really doesn't want a fight with the Black Widow. "Yeah, I'll do that." Natasha moves to exit the room but Caroline's voice halts her. "And Natasha? If all this is just a front and you actually had something to do with Fury's death, I will hunt you down. And not even all the training in the world will prepare you for my attack. Are we clear?"

Silence falls between both ladies, Natasha assessing Caroline up and down. And after another moment, her lips quirk in the faintest of grins. "We're clear." The blonde nods in return, standing up just a little straighter and squaring her shoulders. "See, this is what I like about you, Forbes. You're loyal to the right people. The world needs more people like you."

"Are you implying that you're not one of them?"

"I'm still working on it," she shrugs. "But don't worry that pretty little head of yours. I'll get to the bottom of everything. You just better pray that your boyfriend is as loyal as we all hope he is."

And with that, Natasha stalks out of the room and down the hall without looking back.

* * *

**Ha, so yeah. The dark haired stranger that eyed Caroline up and down is.. Rumlow ;) Caroline will be seeing more of him in a later chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Before we get started, do you remember when I said this was Caroline-centric and that most of the action would be taking place when she's not there for it? Yes? Good. **

**Okay, so while we're following along with Caroline in this chapter, the shiz that goes down behind the scenes starts from when Steve visits Alexander Pierce up until Steve and Nat lay low at a friend's place. But fear not for those who haven't seen the movie or know what's going on because I'll have Steve give Caroline a run down of what's going on ;)**

* * *

After her talk with Natasha, Caroline took the redhead and Steve's words to heart but not before breaking into the changing room where all the Doctors and Nurses left their clothes and bags. Since she had been in a rush to head out to D.C, she didn't pack any belongings which was a big mistake because she was going to need to feed soon, and her only belongings were her phone, money, and a Stark card in case she needed more money in her pockets. So stealing a bag that didn't look too expensive and compelling a nurse to fill it with blood bags as inconspicuously as she could, Caroline left the hospital loaded with at least a few day's meals.

She made her way a couple of miles on foot away from the hospital before flagging down an innocent passer-by, compelling the elder lady nicely for a ride to the nearest hotel. On her way there, she mentally mapped out the city's convenient stores and what not for future reference because there was no way she was getting by with only the outfit she currently had on.

The sun's only just coming up when Caroline finally has her room paid for through the week, she being on the tenth floor of what looks like everyone's go-to hiding location that she's not even sure Stark would stay in. It's one of those hotels where the stairs and "halls" are outside the building, and the bedroom's doors are visible from the parking lot as well as vending machines on every level.

The room is equipped with a full size bed, a small refrigerator beneath the bedside table, a small dining table with two chairs, a decently modern TV with satellite, and a bathroom. It's not much or even close to what Caroline's used to but it would do for now.

Seeing as she really has nothing else to do but wait, Caroline dumps the blood bags out on the bed, keeping one there while gathering up the others and placing them in the mini-fridge. She plops down on the bed, immediately picking up the blood bag and sinking her fangs in. She drinks hungrily, her state of worry since Steve had called her at the tower having triggered a bit of a feeding frenzy that she knows she has to get under control as soon as possible.

The blood bag is quickly emptied, her thirst not being entirely sated but she has things to do. Since Steve had only been called in mere hours ago, she has to give him time to do what needs to be done before she tries getting a hold of him. So realizing that there are items she needs if she's going to be on the low-down for a while, Caroline pats her pockets down for her phone, money, and card, and locks up her room after setting foot outside to head for the nearest shopping center.

It takes her longer to flag down a passer-by, only trying to flag down those who were alone in their vehicles so it was easier to compel a ride from them. And luckily for her, a young man who appears to be around her age- and way into old school Britney Spears- asks if she needs a ride. He's easily compelled and after figuring out he has no plans for the day, Caroline compels herself a chauffeur for her errands.

She makes quick work of directing her new friend to the mall, nearly using her vampire speed to shop for a few jeans, a couple of tops and jackets, spare underwear and a bra, and a pair of sensible boots since hers currently had a thin heel to them. If worse came to worse, she rather not be running in heels.

Her phone never alerted to any calls or messages, she then deciding to grab some food from a nearby diner and taking it back to her room. She skips over a hearty breakfast, choosing something salty and greasy instead, and even buys her compelled friend something to eat for his compelled hospitality. And once back at her terribly bleak room, Caroline's new friend helps her take all her bags upstairs. After setting everything down on the bed, Caroline stuffs a few twenty dollar bills into his front pocket and then compels him to forget everything they'd done that day as well as her identity.

She unpacks her clothing before eating, ripping off stickers and tags, and laying out the clothing on the bed for easy access. She then kicks off her own shoes to relax some as she digs into her food, she managing to down half a burger and a handful of fries before her phone blares from her back pocket.

She startles at the sound and vibration, dropping her food and wiping the grease off on her own sleeves of her jacket before retrieving the phone. And when she sees Tony's smarmy expression taking up the entirety of her screen, her throat nearly closes up but she manages to squeak out, "Hello?", in answering.

"_Caroline,"_ he greets calmly. _"-how are things over there?"_

"How are things?" she scoffs, repeating his words incredulously. "How do you think things are?! They're confusing and tense, and I had to threaten the Black Widow, Stark! Please tell me you know what's going on because I haven't talked to Steve since I saw him being escorted out of the damn hospital and that was before Natasha dropped the bomb about Fury's death!"

Tony falls silent, the only sound being Caroline's heavy breathing. And before she can ask if he's still there, his grim voice answers. _"I heard. Barton told us-"_

"Barton? You found Clint?! Please, tell me Bonnie's-"

"_Relax, Little Bit. They're both fine," _he assures her as calmly as possible. _"By the time we got Clint on the phone, he knew something was up. Apparently, Captain America's a fugitive of SHIELD and-"_

"What?! No," she protests. "Steve wouldn't- he isn't-"

"_We know, Forbes. We know." _Caroline's mouth snaps shut, she having to take a few deep, calming breaths before Tony can continue. And when she doesn't say anymore, he does just that. _"When Clint got the order to bring in Captain America using brute force if necessary, he knew something was up. Especially since no one would answer why Captain America was suddenly a fugitive. He ignored orders and luckily enough, Bonnie had sought him out. Both of them bolted to a newly acquired safe house that he said you, Steve, and Natasha know about but not SHIELD."_

Caroline has to think about what safe houses aren't on SHIELD's radar and nearly facepalms when she realizes they're in Mystic Falls at her childhood home she signed over. "Okay, yeah. I know where they are."

"_Good. We don't know much and since Clint and Bonnie went dark on us, it's up to us to figure things out."_

"Nat's on it," she tells him. "She seemed very upset at Fury's death and even went as far as confronting me. Her heartbeat was steady even though she was angry but I trust her. I'm lying low and just waiting to be picked up by either her or Steve."

"_Well seeing as they're hunting down your boyfriend, don't count on him showing up anytime soon."_

"Gee, thanks, Tony."

"_Just telling it like it is, vampy. Get some rest, will 'ya? Pepper's worried about you and said to make sure you keep yourself fed, and that we'd understand if you have to chomp on a few necks while out there."_

Despite everything that's going on, Caroline manages an amused snort. "I've got that covered. I already raided the hospital here." Tony hums in acknowledgment and Caroline sighs sadly. "Listen, I gotta go. Talking about all of this is only putting me more on edge. Can you run interference with the nosy people from the Falls?"

"_Anything for you, Bit. Stay safe and keep us updated."_

"Of course."

Quickly ending the call, Caroline pockets her phone once more, staring sadly at her unfinished food. After talking to Tony and finding out that Steve's officially on the run from the agency he wanted so badly to trust, she doesn't have much of an appetite. She wraps up whatever leftovers she has, leaving it on the table before making her way over to the bed. Pushing aside her new clothing, she plops down and stretches out while staring up at the ceiling, clasping her fingers together behind her head. Knowing Steve, his phone would have been one of the first things he ditched leaving her no way of contacting him. And if he was in danger, there was no way he was contacting her.

Same went for Natasha. If she were looking for Steve, she wouldn't have any traceable gadgets on her.

As the minutes tick by, her mind can't stray from Steve and it only upsets her even more especially since she has no way to track him. So instead, she sighs out audibly and reaches for the remote on the bedside table. She clicks on the TV and since the Fates are currently working against her, the broadcasters are talking about Captain America and he possibly being a wanted man. Caroline scowls at the TV, clicking through the other channels but making sure to check the other news stations as well. And sure enough, everything on is currently about Captain America and the possibilities of why he fled from SHIELD.

Right then, Caroline quickly shuts off the TV and broods in near silence, trying to collect her thoughts and think up a plan. But with her enhanced hearing, she can hear the traffic outside as well as the numerous heartbeats of the civilians who are also staying at the hotel- said heartbeats calling out to that darker side of her in her state of distress. Not wanting to have a slip up here, especially now of all times, Caroline flashes up and to the mini-fridge, kneeling and pulling out yet another bag of blood before sinking her fangs in. She gulps down mouthful after mouthful of blood, only letting the crumpled plastic fall to the floor once she's drained it completely.

Not only does the bag fall to the floor but Caroline's tears follow right after. From her kneeled position, she falls back on her butt with her back against the side of the bed. Her knees come up towards her chest, she hiding her face in the palm of her hands as her body trembles with suppressed sobs. She allows herself a moment to cry, crying out her frustration instead of doing something very drastic and leaving a trail of dead bodies. Her hands fall just beneath her chin, fingers sliding over the chain of a necklace she always forgot she was wearing because she rarely took it off. Immediately grasping at it, her fingers pluck at the small silver cross that her mom had given to her long ago, rubbing it between her thumb and forefinger.

"Please.. please keep him safe," she murmurs into the silence of her room. "Everything is so messed up, mom. How did it come to this?" The answering silence is deafening, Caroline's chest heaving with even more sobs at the fact that her mom's not there to listen to her troubles. "Let him find safety. Let him find people he can trust and please, for the love of all things Holy.. let Natasha be one of the good guys."

So that's how Caroline spends the next few hours, curled up on the floor and clutching her cross pendant in hand as she prayed for the same things over and over again.

* * *

When Caroline wakes up, she's all sorts of confused because she doesn't remember falling asleep. The last she had seen, it was dark out and now the morning sun is streaming in brightly through the blinds on her window. She blinks rapidly, gasping and sitting up in a flash, her hand immediately seeking out her cell phone. When she lights up the screen, there are no missed calls or messages, and she can't determine whether or not that's a good thing. She then lets her phone fall to the ground with a groan, she slowly climbing to her feet and stretching out her limbs and back since she had managed to fall asleep on the floor.

Caroline doesn't feel as disgusted as she should feel for sleeping in the previous day's clothes but she does take a moment to go freshen up and de-tangle her hair. She's cleaned her face up a bit, wiping away yesterday's makeup and tears before heading back out to sit on the edge of the bed. She turns the TV back on, skimming through the news stations but nothing of Captain America appears on TV. Not liking the fact that Captain America isn't on TV anymore- because SHIELD could have caught him- Caroline starts preparing for the worst. She switches out her heeled boots for the flat ones, ties her hair up in a secure ponytail, shoves her arms back through the jacket she didn't even remember taking off, and starts shoving her new purchases plus the blood bags from the mini-fridge back into the bags she had lying around.

Though the second she has everything packed and is retrieving her phone from where she accidentally kicked it under the bed in her haste to pack up, a knock sounds on her door. Caroline freezes, her breath catching in her throat. She whips her head in the direction of the door, waiting for another knock or her brain to register that the knock didn't sound on her door at all and instead is a visitor for someone else. But as the seconds tick by, another knock sounds and yep, it's on her door.

"_I'm looking for a Miss Forbes,"_ a masculine voice comes through from the other side and Caroline softly curses. _"A friend told me I could find her here and if I'm at the wrong room, I'm terribly sorry for the early wake-up call."_

Slowly climbing to her feet, Caroline pockets her phone and moves to the window, peeking through the blind as discreetly as she can. Unluckily for her, the angle isn't offering much help and the stranger at the door isn't going away. She clicks her teeth together anxiously, groaning before gathering her courage and heading for the door. She's a vampire, for crying out loud, she can totally take out the threat if need be and get away fairly quickly.

Caroline opens the door with a false smile, one hand on her hip as she eyes the stranger up and down. He's dark-skinned and dressed in sweats, he flashing her a blinding smile when he realizes that she's staring- said smile drawing Caroline's attention to the neatly trimmed goatee around his mouth.

"Caroline, I presume?" he chuckles. "Steve said you were pretty but he didn't say how young you were."

Internally, Caroline's demanding to know what this guy knows about Steve but externally, she's calm and collected. She subtly leans forward just so she's smack dab in the middle of the doorway, he grinning while Caroline looks left and right, and then concentrating on her hearing to see if there's anyone talking suspiciously around the corner. When she hears no suspicious activity, her smile drops and the hand that's not holding onto the door reaches out, twisting the guy's sweater in hand and pulls him into the room. The guy stumbles in, wide-eyed and stuttering at the strength Caroline is showcasing. She kicks the door shut, slamming him up against it with a sneer.

"What do you know about Steve? Where is he?!"

"Chill out.. chill out! Steve and his redheaded companion are fine," he stammers quickly, not taking a chance with the glare that Caroline's shooting him with. "They ran into a bit of trouble but they're safe now. Steve was wondering if you were safe and the red head remembered she told you to lay low until she came for you."

"Then where's Natasha? Why didn't she come for me?"

"They're at my house. They're lying low after everything that's gone down."

Caroline's somewhat glad he's answered all her questions but a small part of her doesn't trust him because she didn't even have to rely on compulsion to get her answers. So making sure to catch his gaze this time, she lets her pupils dilate. "Is everything you just told me the truth?"

"Yes."

"Are you trustworthy?"

"Yes."

"What's your name?"

"Sam Wilson."

"Good. Then forget about this little moment, Sam Wilson. The only thing you're going to remember is that I invited you in to help me take my bags down to your car."

"I only came in to help you with your bags." Caroline gulps as she steps away from him, breaking eye contact and watching as he blinks rather confusedly before smiling. "I'll just get your bags, yeah? Steve's a bit anxious to see you."

**XxX**

When Sam pulls up to his place, he parks in an alley of sorts and gestures to which place is his. Caroline smiles at him, grabbing the duffel bag at her feet that she had stolen from the hospital which contains an extra outfit and her blood bags. They head up to the back sliding glass door, Sam entering first and absentmindedly inviting Caroline in.

Sighing in relief, she enters the house only to find Steve and Natasha sitting at the kitchen table. Both look tired and vulnerable sitting there in wife beaters and jeans, something in which she'd never thought she'd ever see. Steve finally stands in his dirtied white wife beater, he smiling feebly at Caroline before she's launching herself at him.

"Oh my God. Oh my God!" Caroline gushes. "You're really okay. You're safe." She cups his face in the palms of her hands, peppering kisses everywhere and not caring about their audience.

Steve chuckles at her enthusiasm, letting her kiss every inch of available skin on his face. "I'm okay, Care. You can stop freaking out now."

From behind them, Sam mutters to Natasha, "That Cap's girl? Why didn't you say so?"

"It wasn't need to know," Natasha answers.

"Right," Sam then drawls. "Well, I made breakfast if you guys, you know, eat that sort of thing. It's still on the stove."

Steve snorts, pulling away from Caroline long enough to nod with a grin at Sam. "Thanks, friend."

"Hey, man, no worries."

Natasha then stands, moving towards the cabinets to retrieve plates and utensils. But the second she gets too close to Caroline, Caroline unlatches from Steve and onto her. Steve doesn't bother smothering his grin as Natasha tenses, Caroline latching on and not letting go. "Thank you for not being the bad guy."

Natasha doesn't know what to say back to that, she slowly easing into Caroline's grip to briefly return the hug. "Thanks for not turning our new ally into lunch."

"Huh?" Sam blinks confusedly.

Caroline laughs at that, she letting Natasha go and standing back with a sheepish smile. "I have food in my bag," she says. "But I might have compelled your friend to make sure he was decent before I went anywhere with him."

"Compelled?"

"Long story," Steve speaks up then, clapping a hand down on Sam's shoulder. "Fill you in later. Just count your lucky stars that Caroline's on our side."

Sam blinks again, staring between Caroline and Natasha who's smiling rather deviously now. "Man, is that your way of saying that she," he points at Caroline. "-is more dangerous than she appears to be?"

"Let's just say that she," Natasha nudges her friend. "-is more dangerous than the three of us," she then gestures between herself, Steve, and Sam. "-combined."

Sam opens his mouth to retort but as he glances at the blonde standing in his kitchen, he snaps it shut and shakes his head with a sigh. "Later," he agrees. "Right now, we eat."

Steve and Natasha agree, the both of them easily finding plates and bowls as Sam retrieves utensils, and start loading up their plates with bacon, eggs, and sausage, and filling their bowls with oatmeal. Caroline sees the bread laying out on the counter next to the toaster, she making herself useful and toasting their bread for them.

Orange juice gets poured and butter gets smothered on toast, Caroline taking it all to the table where the others are already seated.

"You not gonna eat?" Sam asks as he plucks a piece a toast. "I can make more."

"No, I'm fine." Caroline assures him. "I'll eat after you lot are done because I'm pretty sure the meal I'm craving will ruin everyone's appetite."

Sam's brows pull together in confusion, everyone seeing the question in his eyes. But again, he sighs and shakes his head. "Long story. Later?"

"Smart man."

The three of them go back to eating and Caroline barely lasts three minutes before cracking with an aggravated groan. "All right, so is anyone going to tell me what the hell happened? Steve looks like he was rolling around in dirt!"

Sam and Natasha freeze mid-chew, their gazes darting to Steve's dirtied wife beater before darting to Caroline's demanding gaze. They slowly start chewing again, both remaining tight lipped as Steve sips his drink and sets it down with a frown.

"It's pretty much a shit storm, Care," he swears, ignoring Sam and Natasha's wry grins. "We've been working for what we thought was SHIELD but was actually Hydra who infiltrated SHIELD right under everyone's nose. And not those wanna-be Hydra goons that attacked me at Stark tower. We're talking the real deal." Caroline's full on gaping, Steve frowning even more. "Not all of SHIELD is the enemy. The real SHIELD agents, I'm not even sure they know who they're taking orders from. But a good portion of the agency are Hydra and they're looking to take out anyone and everyone in their way."

Slowly piecing it all together, she gulps. "You and Natasha. It's why you're dirty and staying off the grid."

"It is. Alexander Pierce tried to sell me on Fury being dirty but we think that Fury stumbled on something he wasn't supposed to so they took him out. When I wouldn't give up any information on why Fury had been at my apartment when he was shot, I was targeted in the elevator at the Triskelion. Natasha just got caught in the crossfire when she became curious about Fury's death."

"Hydra's rooted in deep," Natasha continues. "The guy they're working with, most of the intelligence community doesn't believe he exists but he does. I saw him months back on a solo mission and Steve saw him the night Fury was shot. They call him the Winter Soldier- easily recognizable by his metal arm- and he's credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years. When we figured it out, they went as far as ordering a missile strike on the building only Steve and I were occupying."

"That's- this is crazy," Caroline responds incredulously.

"So the question is," Natasha then turns to Steve, letting everything sink in for Caroline. "Who in SHIELD could order a domestic missile strike?"

"Pierce," he deadpans.

"Who happens to be sitting on top of the most secure building in the world."

As Natasha and Steve go back and forth, everyone continues to eat and Caroline drinks in as much information as she can.

"But he's not working alone," Steve realizes. "Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star."

"So was Jasper Sitwell," Natasha says.

"So the real question is, how do the two most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?"

Caroline perks up but Sam beats her to the punch. "The answer is, you don't.

Sam pushes back from the table, taking his plate to the sink on his way out. Natasha and Steve shrug, finish eating before clearing the table and waiting for Sam to reappear.

"Hold up," Caroline finally breaks her silence. "What the hell is Zola's algorithm and the Lemurian Star?"

"Zola was a Hydra scientist that I captured back in the day. SHIELD later recruited him, thinking he'd help without his own agenda. He's the one who rebuilt Hydra within SHIELD," Steve answers. "He somehow made himself into a computer and made an algorithm that we have yet to find out hence kidnapping Sitwell to tell us what we want to know."

"And the Lemurian Star was a mission we had a while back where I pulled the intel from," Natasha says just as Sam makes it back into the kitchen.

He's smiling broadly, a folder in hand that he plops on the now cleared table.

"What's this?" Steve asks, taking the folder and opening it up.

Sam shrugs. "Call is a résumé."

Natasha plucks out a photo, studying it as Caroline peers over her shoulder. The picture showcases Sam in dark fatigues and a chest full of buckles, walking side-by-side with a lighter skinned man in the same get-up. "Is this Bakhmala? The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you?" Sam nods with yet another smile, Natasha then turning to Steve. "You didn't say he was para-rescue."

Steve doesn't say anything as Natasha hands over the photo, he taking in the man next to Sam before looking up at his new friend. "Is this Riley?"

"Yeah."

"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of RPGs." Natasha recalls. "What did you use, a stealth chute?"

"No. These."

Steve lays down the photo as yet another folder is tossed on the table. He picks it up, opens it, and briefly grins. "I thought you said you were a pilot."

"I never said pilot," Sam chuckles.

Natasha and Caroline finally get their own peek at the new folder, both ladies quirking an eyebrow at the set of wings and it's schematics along with pictures of the wings hooked up to Sam's back.

"I can't ask you do this, Sam," Steve then shakes his head. "You got out for a good reason."

"Dude, Captain America needs my help. There's no better reason to get back in."

Steve sighs, letting it sink in for a moment and when Sam doesn't budge, he nods. "Where can we get our hands on one of these things?"

"The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve inch steel wall."

Steve looks to Natasha, Natasha then shrugging. "Shouldn't be a problem."

"No, duh," Caroline scoffs. "You have me, remember?"

Natasha slowly grins but Steve shuts her down. "No. You're staying here."

"Like hell I am! You know I can get you in and out without a problem."

"I know," Steve assures her. "I want you to be safe, I do, but I also know we're going to need as much help as we can get later on. If you go now, we're showing them our wild card. It's best to keep your talents hidden until the last second where we can catch them off guard."

Caroline wants to argue, she does, but she knows they're going to need that wild card in the future as Steve just said. If Natasha can get in and out without her help then there really was no need for her.

Seeing all the fight drain from her, Steve grins and leans forward to kiss her forehead. "We'll be quick, I promise."

She grumbles beneath her breath, waving him off. "Yeah, yeah. I guess I'll just sit here and twiddle my thumbs then."

Natasha and Sam both snort, Sam then gesturing to the doorway leading into the sitting room. "Make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa and all that jazz."

"Thanks, Sam."

* * *

**Tell me how I'm doing, yeah? Poor Caroline has to sit out but if you've seen the movie, you all know exactly what she's sitting out of ;) Don't worry, though. Caroline still manages to save the day in the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

The second Natasha, Steve, and Sam leave (Natasha really lucked out with Caroline having spare clothes), Caroline does as Sam had said and makes herself at home. She tosses all her blood bags in the fridge to keep them cold, sheds her jacket in the living room, plops herself down on the couch only to find the TV remote on the cushion beside her, and clicks on the TV. Though two minutes in of searching through the guide for something decent to watch, Caroline groans and turns the TV back off before standing once more and heading back for the kitchen. With her boyfriend, friend, and new friend gone on a mission to kidnap a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, her worry is getting the best of her. And when Caroline finds herself in a worried fit where she can't do anything about it, there's one thing she falls back on to keep herself occupied. She cleans.

So deciding to make herself useful, Caroline heads back into the kitchen and trashes whatever leftover food there is in the pans and plates that were left on the counters. She scrapes everything clean and before she can clog up the sink to wash everything by hand, she spots Sam's dishwasher. The liquid soap pods are quickly found beneath the sink, and after loading the dishwasher and dropping a pod in it's container, Caroline starts the dishwasher and looks for her next task.

The cleaning sprays are pulled next from underneath the sink as well as a few cleaning cloths. Caroline throws her all into making sure every inch of counter space and table space are wiped clean, she also making sure to clear off fingerprint smudges from the coffee pot, and the stove and microwave glass surfaces. Then from there, she makes her way back into the living room where she finds a dusting spray and continues to clean that room, too. She dusts everything she can and since the flooring is all wood, the swifter mopping pads she found after a bit of searching come into use.

And after all the cleaning and managing to work up a decent sweaty sheen, Caroline decides to use a stranger's shower. She checks her phone for any updates and upon finding none, she gathers up some clothes and heads for the bathroom. She's a bit bummed to see that there are no shampoo or conditioner as she undresses- Sam having a Men's 2-in-1 that would most likely damage her hair- so she settles for tying it up to keep her hair dry. On the plus side, however, Sam has two different body washes- one that was masculine and the other that wasn't- and settles for the Dove bar with a content sigh.

Once she finishes with the shower, she dries off and pulls on her undergarments before scouring the cabinets for spare toothbrushes. She hits the jackpot, pulls free a toothbrush and a new bottle of mouthwash before finishing her normal bathroom routine. And after feeling minty fresh, she pulls on the rest of her outfit which consists of maroon slim fit jeans and a black sleeveless tank top with cutout detailing.

By the time she's back in the living room with the remote in hand, there's still no updates on her phone. She spends yet another few minutes of her life searching through the guide on TV but finds nothing that catches her attention. She settles for what the guide tells her is an afternoon talk show only for the talk show to be cut into minutes later with breaking news.

"_This just in, Steve Rogers- or Captain America as we've all grown to know him as- has just been spotted downtown amidst car crashes, gun fire, and explosions!"_

"What?!"

Caroline jumps to her feet, eyes wide and mouth agape as grainy cell phone footage appears and takes up half the screen. The spokeswoman keeps talking about Captain America having a red headed companion and another friend but Caroline's too shocked to really pay attention as she watches Steve go hand to hand with who appears to be the Winter Soldier on live television.

"Holy shi-" Caroline's phone suddenly blares, she using vampire speed to pick it up and answer without taking her eyes off the TV screen. "Hello?!"

"_So from the high pitch of your voice, I take it you're watching TV? What the hell, Caroline?! Why aren't you out there helping?"_

"This wasn't part of the plan, Tony! It was just a simple- you know what, nevermind. They didn't want me on this simple mission. This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"_Then what the hell do you call this?!" _The Winter Soldier comes into possession of Steve's shield and Caroline's stomach drops. _"This isn't good. This isn't good at all. Who the hell is that anyway?"_

"He was supposed to be a ghost story, Stark. No one believed he existed and well, here he is. Things are about to get much more worse." The Winter Soldier starts handling a dagger very professionally and Caroline has to momentarily avert her gaze. "I'm going out there. I was told to stay put and hidden but the Soldier changes things. I'm-"

"_Go. They'll understand."_

Caroline sighs in relief that Tony isn't going to argue with her, her phone beeping in her ear. When she briefly pulls it down to see who's calling, her phone starts pinging back to back with messages from her friends back in Mystic Falls. "Ugh, Stark, can you take care of the Falls crew? They're blowing up my phone but I need to go. I can't explain everything right now."

"_On it. Be careful, Little Bit."_

The second Tony ends the call, Caroline turns off her phone and pockets it. She picks up her new gray and black striped zip hoodie, and dons it, quickly turning off the the TV with a deep frown and flashing out the back door to Sam's place. She flashes around a few blocks, only stopping here and there when there's coverage. She doesn't know D.C all that well, so on her stops she concentrates on her hearing for any signs of sirens blaring.

And luckily for her, around the eighth time she's stopped, she catches the sound of sirens. Looking around, she finds an average soccer mom van in silver and contemplates stealing it given the neighborhood it's sitting in. Though in the time it took her to contemplate it, it gave time for the owner to come out carrying a child on her hip and Caroline instantly feels bad. But the louder the sirens get, Caroline knows she needs to get a move on if she's going to hunt down the police vehicles to be led to Steve and Natasha.

So feeling every bit of guilty, Caroline flashes in front of the woman and immediately compels her to not be afraid. The little girl looks seconds away from being terrified but the moment her mom calms, she calms too. And within seconds, Caroline has the woman handing over the keys to the van with promises to reimburse her at a later day, and then compels her to go inside and marathon cartoons with her daughter.

Caroline jumps into the van, jamming the key into the ignition and fires up the engine. Her fingers immediately jam the off button to the radio and then she's back to concentrating her hearing on the distant blaring sirens. Once she catches the general direction of the noise, she accelerates slowly down the suburban street and then floors it where the blocks are less populated.

She finds the tail end of black unmarked SUVs racing all in the same direction with lights and sirens in under five minutes, her gut telling her that she needed to follow. So following that instinct, Caroline races after the last black SUV in line and follows it until they swarm a familiar looking place. Every civilian has stopped to watched, Caroline deciding to stop as well and try to see what's going on after she exits the vehicle.

A helicopter is flying overhead and Caroline barely catches sight of an emotionally beat Steve on his knees in the middle of the street with his hands behind his head. She's downright confused for a moment and then she sees the S.H.I.E.L.D agents swarming him and handcuffing him, as well as a woozy looking Natasha and a very confused Sam. None of them spot Caroline as she watches from the sidelines, bottom lip caught between her teeth as she worries about what she was going to do. The agents are mumbling about finally catching Captain America while others were talking about digging three holes and Caroline suddenly has a horrible feeling. So when her friends are finally all loaded up and ready for transport, Caroline jogs back to her stolen van, drives away from the scene, and parks where she figures the procession of S.H.I.E.L.D vehicles will pass by.

And sure enough, when they finally all pass by with the van carrying her boyfriend and friends conveniently being the last vehicle in line, Caroline follows them from a distance and prays for the outcome to be in her favor. She follows them for a couple of miles, the scenery becoming more isolated as the minutes pass. But just when she's giving a second thought to causing a car crash and staging a one-woman rescue, she sees something fall from the bottom of the last van. Squinting, she can barely make out what appears to be an arm moving about beneath the moving vehicle and she slows down. And the moment she sees a body fall and then quickly roll to the side, she slams on her brakes to watch as Steve and the others pretty much rescue themselves.

From a distance, she watches as the group of four- she wonders who the fourth is- collect themselves and then end up supporting Natasha's weight. She frowns when she realizes her friend is injured and then slowly starts moving the van towards them when the S.H.I.E.L.D vehicles are finally out of sight.

Not thinking things all the way through, Caroline speeds up and then comes to a sudden halt beside the group as they're trying to work out which way to start walking, and then Maria Hill's pulling a gun on her as Sam and Steve push Natasha behind them.

Sam grins when he realizes who's driving the van, Steve and Natasha both sigh and slump in unison, and Caroline merely quirks an eyebrow at the agent whose usually neat bun isn't as immaculate as it usually is. "Fury's right-hand woman, nice to finally meet you. I'm Cap's girl so you can lower your weapon."

Hill's aim doesn't waver but she does chance a look over her shoulder at Steve who nods. And then finally, the gun is re-holstered as her attention settles on Steve. "I wasn't aware you were in a relationship, Captain."

"Yes, well, we didn't want S.H.I.E.L.D too invested in my life," Steve says. "Fury was the only one who knew. Well, he and everyone else linked to an Avenger." He moves passed the agent, leaning in through the open window and pecking Caroline's cheek. "And I thought I told you to stay put?"

"In all fairness, I totally listened up until I saw the craziness going down on the news. Stark's a bit peeved, by the way, and I was really worried so I borrowed the van and followed my ears. Good thing, too, seeing as I got there in time to watch you all being handcuffed."

"Thanks for that," Sam tosses in with a grin to which Caroline winks at him with a giggle.

"We owe you," Natasha then tiredly drawls. "Now can we please get out of here before they figure out we're not in their custody anymore?"

That seems to light a match under everyone, they all hurrying to open doors and load up. "Where to now?" Caroline asks. "Natasha's injured and since Sam's face was all over TV, I doubt going back to his place is a good idea."

"I have a location," Hill speaks up. "Are you good at taking directions or do you trust me to drive?"

"Everyone's already situated," Caroline replies. "Just tell me where to go so Nat doesn't lose anymore blood."

Maria's lips thin but she nods nonetheless. "Turn the van around and keeping driving until I tell you otherwise."

**XxX**

When Hill told them she had a location, no one expected the secluded dirt path that led to what appeared to be an abandoned dam. They all pile out of the van rather cautiously but Hill marches right up to the gated door and swings it open.

With Sam and Steve supporting Natasha's weight, Caroline follows beside Hill and listens in for anything out of the norm. There's the expected leaky water pipes and the faint hum of electricity, as well as the low muttering of others speaking so she knows that Hill has more people here. And sure enough, there's suddenly a man in a white lab coat that doesn't belong beneath the dam running towards them.

"GSW," Hill tells him while gesturing to Natasha who looks woozier than when Caroline first found them. "She's lost at least a pint."

"Maybe two," Sam and Caroline say in unison.

"Let me take her," the man says- everything about him oozing _doctor._

"She'll want to see him first." The way Hill says _him _has Natasha's heart beating a tick faster, Caroline worriedly side-eyeing her friend before she realizes that Hill's staring at her as they continue walking further down the dimly lit corridor.

"What?"

Agent Hill lets her gaze roam over Caroline before her gaze darts to Steve. "Are you sure she can be trusted?"

"One hundred percent," he agrees.

Hill gives him a terse nod before striding forward and Caroline rolls her eyes behind the agent's back at the woman's lack of trust even after she helped them out moments before. And it isn't until they come to a larger more lit room with plastic draping hiding someone that has a slow and steady heartbeat does Caroline feel her chest tighten. Agent Hill takes one last look at the group that's gathered before pushing aside the draping only to show Nick Fury lying _alive _in a hospital bed and hooked up to various machines.

Caroline, Steve, and Natasha all freeze at the sight; Fury barely picking up his head at their arrival. "About damn time."

"Y-you're alive?! Wha- how?!"

"Nice to see you too, Forbes," Fury deadpans. "And nice to see you siding with the right people."

"I told you I was one of the good guys."

Snorting, Fury winces before lying back once more. "Some of best agents said they were good, too, and look at who they turned out to be."

Caroline nods along in understanding and before she can retort, the Doctor's returning with gauze and bandages, and then directing Sam and Steve to gently set Natasha down on the wooden crate nearest them. They start stripping Natasha out of her jacket, the assassin's gaze never leaving that of Fury's form.

"So," Caroline then drawls to break the awkward tension. "What happened to you? What injuries did you end up sustaining?"

"The obvious bumps and scrapes," he says as he weakly gestures to his head. "Lacerated spinal column, cracked sternum, shattered collarbone, perforated liver, one hell of a headache.."

"Don't forget your collapsed lung," the Doctor throws in.

"Oh, let's not forget that," Fury rolls his eye. "Otherwise, I'm good."

"You're a train wreck," Caroline mumbles, crossing her arms over her chest and standing against the wall at Steve's side.

"They cut you open," Natasha finally speaks. "Your heart stopped."

"Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute. Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it."

"Why all the secrecy?" Steve finally asks. "Why not just tell us?"

"Any attempt on the Director's life had to look successful," agent Hill answers for him.

"Can't kill you if you're already dead. Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust," Fury adds.

Steve bristles at his words, Caroline immediately placing a hand on his shoulder on squeezing in comfort as she catches Natasha tense for a split second before avoiding any and all contact with the one man who she thought had trusted her already.

Natasha sways in her seat and as the Doctor starts muttering about getting blood into her, Caroline stops him. "Hold it just a minute," she pushes off the wall and comes to a stop in the middle of the room. "Are you two," she looks between Natasha and Fury. "-really going to heal the slow way? I can help, you know? Worse case scenario is.. well, you already know of the consequences."

"I'll do it your way," Fury immediately replies. "I really need to get the hell up out of this bed without worrying about puncturing something."

"Sir," the Doctor practically yelps. "Getting out of bed is not-"

"Sorry, Doc," Caroline cuts him off, turning her attention to him. "But I got it from here."

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but-"

"Leave," Caroline suddenly tells him, straight to his face and with just enough eye contact that her compulsion takes hold. "Leave this room and go check inventory of your medical supplies. I'll handle the patients from here."

The Doctor suddenly leaves without anymore fight, agent Hill's eyes widening as she pushes off against her own wall that she'd be leaning against. "What the hell was that?"

"That's the reason I kept Miss Forbes a secret from every other agent in S.H.I.E.L.D," Fury tells her. "Miss Forbes is a vampire, Hill, and since her blood can heal.. well, I'd rather drink that down than wait weeks or even months to get out of here."

"Vampire?" Sam snorts. "That's the big secret? No way."

"Well, since you ran the Doctor out," Natasha grumbles. "I guess I'll be taking the quick fix, too."

Caroline smiles sheepishly before moving over to Natasha, looking back up at Sam and catching his gaze while letting her vampire facade pulse to the surface. Sam's eyes widen, he stumbling back in shock and then grimacing as Caroline easily bites into the soft flesh of her wrist before placing it at Natasha's mouth and letting the redhead drink.

"Is that sanitary?" Hill asks, nose crinkled in distaste.

"Very. Vampires can't get sick," Caroline tells her. When she looks over at Maria, the only vampire feature visible are her fangs peeking out through her parted lips. When Natasha has had her fill, Caroline pulls her wrist free and then Natasha's rotating her shoulder and pulling off the bandages to show off smooth skin; no wound in sight.

"Well, would you look at that," Sam says in awe.

"You're up, Nick. You ready?"

"Let's just get this over with, Forbes. And stop calling me Nick, dammit!"


	5. Chapter 5

With Caroline's blood running through Fury and Natasha's systems now, both injured parties heal within minutes- Natasha far quicker than Fury since all she had was a bullet wound to her shoulder. The redheaded assassin takes a moment to rotate her shoulder to work out the soreness and Fury takes a few minutes of his own to stand and stretch, and get used to using his limbs after days of staying in bed.

Once both newly healed persons are ready to get down to business and talk about what's going on, Agent Hill leads them down the cool and damp corridor of the dam to another room that's better lit. The agents that were in hiding, as well as the medical personnel that spot Fury up and about, balk at his mysterious recovery but he's quick to send them walking the other way with a well placed glare and sneer.

Crates upon crates are stacked around the room, a round table and chairs that are pushed back towards the back of the room is where Hill leads them to. Hard plastic casings lay around the room as well, Hill picking up a couple bulky suitcases and places them on the table that Fury, Steve, Caroline, and Sam are all seated at. She makes one more trip to pick up a laptop, she setting it up before her after she's taken a seat and pushing it's carrying case to the side where Fury starts digging around in it.

A black and white picture gets slid out, Fury staring at it with a tired sigh. "This man declined the Nobel peace Prize." The picture falls from his grasp and they all see that it's Alexander Pierce. "He said peace wasn't _an achievement,_ it was_ a responsibility._" Huffing, Fury rolls his eye and leans back in his chair. "See, it's stuff like this that gives me trust issues."

Everyone goes quiet, the only sound being the keys of the keyboard that agent Hill is pressing. And just when Caroline thinks that the silence is borderline oppressing, Natasha breaks it. "We have to stop the launch."

Wait, what?! "What launch?" Caroline questions immediately when Fury, Hill, Steve, and Sam nod along in agreement.

"I don't think the Council's accepting my calls anymore," Fury replies to Natasha, ignoring Caroline.

"What launch?!"

She gains everyone's attention the second time around, all gazes darting to her and this time, it's Steve's turn to sigh. "It's called Project Insight," he tells her since she was the only one in the dark. "Three helicarriers are going to be launched later today that have been programmed with an algorithm to choose targets."

Caroline gulps, horror seeping in as she sinks in her seat. "W-what targets?"

Steve averts his gaze then, frowning. "Me, Natasha, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city, Banner," he trails off. "Pretty much anyone who's a threat to Hydra now or in the future."

"That's insane," the vampire nearly squeaks. "How would an algorithm even predict threats from the future?"

Steve shrugs and this time, it's Natasha who answers. "Sitwell, the guy we interrogated, said that the 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught Hydra how to read it."

"Read what?" Caroline scoffs in aggravation. Just what the hell did she get herself into?

"Our bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, emails, phone calls-"

"Even your SAT scores," Steve finishes for Natasha. "Zola's algorithm evaluates peoples' pasts to predict their future."

The seriousness of the situation immediately sinks in and Caroline can't help the worry that wells up in her chest. "And then what?"

"Then the Insight Helicarriers scratch people off the list," agent Hill answers, lips pressed in a thin line. "A few million at a time."

Caroline gapes- even more so at the fact that no one else is as shocked as she is. She leans back in her chair, head shaking back and forth as if she can't believe what she was just told, and her hand comes up to pinch the bridge of her nose as she feels a headache wanting to form. The veins beneath her eyes pulse and her fangs elongate as her emotions are now up and down.

Caroline doesn't have to open her eyes to know that people are staring, she choosing instead to keep them closed and works on calming down enough to will away her vampire features. The thunk of something hitting the table sounds and Caroline's eyes fly open, a hiss threatening to escape when she realizes that there's no threat.

In front of them all, Fury's showcasing the inside of a small case that has three computer chips nestled safely inside.

"What's that?" Sam asks, beating the others to the punch.

"Once the helicarriers reach three thousand feet, they'll triangulate with Insight satellites becoming fully weaponized."

Picking up one of the chips, Fury continues where Hill left off as he shows the chip to the group. "We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own."

"One or two won't cut it," Hill says, taking the chip back after everyone had a look and replaces it back in it's case. "We need to link all three carriers for this to work because if even one of those ships remains operational.. a whole lot of people are gonna die."

Caroline sighs, everything Fury and agent Hill are saying being way more than she had bargained for when she started dating Steve. But does she regret it? Not one bit.

"We have to assume everyone aboard those carriers is Hydra," Fury continues. "We need to get passed them, insert the server blades (computer chips), and maybe, just maybe, we can salvage what's left-"

"We're not salvaging anything," Steve interrupts so suddenly that Sam and Caroline startle. "We're not just taking down the carriers, Nick. We're taking down SHIELD."

"SHIELD had nothing to do with it," Fury demands hotly.

"You gave me this mission; this is how it ends," Steve fires back. Natasha, Sam, Caroline, and Hill stay quiet, their gazes ping-ponging between both heated men. "SHIELD's been compromised, you've said so yourself. Hydra was right under your nose and nobody noticed."

"Why do you think we're meeting in this cave? I noticed," he snorts.

"And how many paid the price before you did?"

"Look," Fury sighs, losing some of his steam. "I didn't know about Barnes."

"Barnes?" Caroline questions at the same moment Steve asks-

"Even if you had, would you have told me? Or would you have compartmentalized that, too? SHIELD, Hydra, it all goes."

Caroline's waiting for her question to be answered but when she sees that no one other than Sam is paying attention to her, she mouths _Barnes?_ at him again.

Seeing that Steve and Fury are in a stare down, Sam leans closer to her and mutters, "Rogers' best friend from childhood that he thought was lost in the war. Turns out Hydra captured him and brainwashed him, turning him into their weapon. He didn't even recognize Steve when they were fighting."

The blonde vampire gives an almost inaudible gasp, eyes going wide. "No!"

"Yeah," Sam nods. "Shit's crazy."

Caroline looks as if she wants to say more but agent Hill's sudden, "He's right," has everyone looking to her. Apparently, she just agreed with Steve about SHIELD going down with Hydra.

Fury sighs, looking at his right hand woman in disbelief before turning his gaze to Natasha who shrugs in response. Looking at Sam, Sam huffs and grins. "Don't look at me. I do what he does," he gestures at Steve. "-just slower."

Fury frowns and then glances at Caroline. "I do what the boyfriend thinks is best," she answers. "It's his mission." She catches Steve's gaze and offers a reassuring wink, Steve smiling proudly before looking back towards Fury.

"Well," the Director finally speaks. "-looks like you're giving the orders now, Captain."

The second Steve nods, Caroline lets out a very audible sigh of relief and grins. "Excellent. Since we're taking down SHIELD, does this mean we're setting up our second line of defense?"

"Second line of defense?" Fury questions. "We have a second line of defense?"

His question goes unanswered as Steve and Natasha turn to each other, both agent and Captain having a silent conversation with mostly just eyebrows. Though when Fury clears his throat and asks again, Steve turns to Caroline and gives her a terse nod.

Digging out her Stark phone from her jean pocket, Caroline flashes Fury a grim smile. "When you asked for a consultant for SHIELD, we sent you in Bonnie's direction because she was truly the only person who would lend a hand and listen to orders at the same time. But," she trails off, now muttering about entering a code and securing a line with JARVIS for a conference call as soon as all the text messages were sent to their intended marks. "-the others, the ones who wouldn't listen to orders as easily and would do things their own way even if it meant death, are still hellbent on keeping people safe if it comes down to it. So after Bonnie got settled within SHIELD, I got a hold of everyone back in Mystic Falls and New Orleans, and set up a backup plan with them. If something drastic were to happen- something threatening the world- the supernatural beings were going to be our backup plan."

"And you didn't think to tell me any of this?" Fury demands.

And looking up from her phone, Caroline shakes her head. "No. Because if you had, you would have kept a file somewhere within your SHIELD office and Hydra would have known. This way, Hydra and anyone loyal to them are in for a big surprise when everything goes down."

"Well goddamn," Sam breathes in awe. "Cap, I approve of your choice in women. This one's scary."

"Oh, sweetie," Caroline coos at him, gaze darting between her phone and Sam. "You haven't seen anything yet."

She's back to typing out on her phone, making faces and muttering beneath her breath as Hill pipes up. "Are you sure that's wise? Using your phone, I mean. We are in hiding for a reason."

"Totally. It's Stark technology, after all, and I got JARVIS to secure everyone's line for this."

"Line for what?"

"For this." After a few pushed buttons, Caroline grins in triumph. "Alright, guys, you all there?" There's a whole lot of voices answering at the same time, Caroline then taking the time to tell those around her who she called as she's being stared down by Fury with a very unimpressed stare. "We have Niklaus, Elijah, and Rebekah; the Original siblings. Damon, Elena, and Alaric from Mystic Falls as well as Bonnie on the line."

"_Barton, too," _Bonnie answers. _"He won't leave my side."_

Natasha seems to lose some tension at hearing Clint's safe and Caroline flashes her a quick grin. "That's fine. As some of you probably already know, something's terribly wrong within the SHIELD agency."

"_You could say that again,"_ a feminine British accent crackles over the line. _"We witnessed that agency of yours take in America's favorite bloke on television not that long ago."_

"Well, Rebekah, Steve's fine now."

"_Steve, is it? You sound cozy when saying his name."_

"So not the time, Klaus," Caroline groans. "We have much bigger problems than your ego right now."

"_Then spit it out, Barbie. What's going on?" _Damon drawls.

"Right, well," she sighs. "Long story short, SHIELD good; Hydra bad. Hydra infiltrated SHIELD long ago and only decided to finally come out of the shadows by assassinating Director Fury." She catches Fury's gaze from across the table, he nodding once and glad that she didn't give up the secret that he was still alive. "They tried making Captain America a criminal, and were planning to take him, agent Romanoff, and a friend helping them out to the middle of nowhere for an execution."

"_Were?" _Barton cuts in. _"Does that mean Nat's safe, too?"_

"Yeah, Barton, I'm good," Natasha calls out. "Now pay attention."

Caroline nods her thanks to Natasha, she continuing on. "Hydra's planning on taking out anyone and everyone who's a threat to them. But lucky for us, agent Hill infiltrated the team that captured Steve and got them out. We're safe for now but not for long. We're planning a move and we need you guys as backup in case we fail."

"_Whatever you need, Care. We're here for you."_ Elena answers.

"Thanks, 'lena, but this isn't my mission," she answers back. "It's Steve's. He's calling the shots now."

"_S-Steve?" _Alaric stammers. _"Captain America's giving us a mission?"_

"_Shutup, you fanboy," _Damon hisses and Steve's lip twitch in amusement. _"He can hear you."_

Caroline shakes her head in fond amusement and Steve clears his throat rather loudly that the voices on the phone immediately quiet down. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, my name is Steve Rogers but you know me as Captain America. I know you don't know me and your loyalty does not lie with me but we really need your help." There's a murmur of assurance that they're all willing to help so Steve continues on. "Our plan is to not only take down Hydra but dismantle SHIELD along the way. While SHIELD are the good guys, Hydra is too deeply rooted to let it stand so everything goes."

"_Tough call, Cap. What are we needed for if not to help dismantle the agency?"_ Barton asks.

"I need everyone to stay put- some of you in Mystic Falls need to spread out to surrounding towns if you can to cover more ground- and act as completely as normal living day to day," Steve answers. "With us dismantling SHIELD and Hydra, agents are going to scatter. I need all of you to keep your eyes open and supernatural senses working over time for anyone who's out of place- anyone acting sketchy and/or jittery."

"_And what- pray tell- are we to do with anyone we find?"_ Klaus drawls.

"Well, if they're SHIELD agents who are still loyal to doing good, I'm hoping you can provide shelter for them until we can think up an extraction plan. If they're Hydra, they're to be taken hostage- again until we extract them. But if they cause too much trouble for you and your people, they're to be killed on spot. We can't chance having Hydra agents being out in public."

"_Now you're talking, Boy Wonder," _Damon cuts in. _"Are we to expect any hostile agents? Do they know of our existence?"_

"As far as we know, they do not know of the supernatural," Steve answers. "So yes, compel them to get the truth. SHIELD agents live, and if necessary, Hydra goes."

"And if they do know of our existence are have vervain in their systems?" Rebekah asks.

"Then you put them in a dungeon- I know you all have dungeons so there's no denying it- and wait until it leaves their system," Caroline scoffs. "Easy."

Again, there's mutterings of everyone agreeing and already making plans but again, Steve clears his throat to gain their attention. "One more thing, guys, and pay close attention." The line falls deathly silent and Steve closes his eyes before taking a deep sigh and letting it out. "I also need you to be on the lookout for a man who they call the Winter Soldier. He's in need of a shave and has hair hanging down to his chin, and before you say there's plenty of people like that.. he's easily recognized by his metal arm."

"_The man you fought with on TV," _Elijah confirms. _"We saw it."_

"Yes, well, he's very lethal," Steve sighs. "If spotted, do not engage. Do not even put a tail on him. If you see him, send a message to Caroline with what city you're in so we can track him from a distance."

"_Got it, Star Spangled Man, anything else?"_

Caroline rolls her eyes at Damon's need to use a nickname, as does Steve- he reminding them a little of Tony in this moment. "As of now, that's all," Steve says. "If anything changes, agent Hill or Caroline will be in contact."

"_If I may cut in a for a moment,"_ Elijah's posh accent interrupts. _"But where exactly is all this going to take place? Wouldn't it be best if we set up a perimeter around whatever city you're in to make sure we catch any fleeing agents?"_

Director Fury purses his lips, nodding in agreement with the vampire on the line. And when Caroline catches his eyes, he silently gives his assent to tell them where they're going to be. "We're in D.C," Caroline answers.

"_I see," _Elijah hums. _"I can get a group of vampires together to make the trip, as well as Hayley with a group of werewolves, while Niklaus and his trusted stay in New Orleans. We can set up either around the city or state and wait for the inevitable to happen."_

"_Ric has a witchy girlfriend," _Damon throws out. _"I'm sure the both of them can watch over Mystic Falls while Elena and I hit the road, too."_

"_Clint and I are staying in Mystic Falls,"_ Bonnie says. _"I won't endanger his life out there since we're not sure who to trust anymore."_

There's a squawk of protest- most likely from Barton- that has Natasha and Caroline grinning.

"That's good- excellent, really," Steve admits. "-and that's fine, Bonnie. I don't want any of you spreading yourself too thin. We need to contain as many Hydra agents as possible and save the innocent."

Steve then spends a couple more minutes running the plan over with everyone again, and finding out just where Elijah and friends will be setting up. After everything's been confirmed and then re-comfirmed, they all wish Steve and Caroline good luck with their mission, and the ones staying put in their homes promise to keep their TVs set to a news station so they'll know when everything happens.

The second Caroline is re-pocketing her phone, Fury glares at her and Steve. "While the plan seems sound, I'm not happy all this was kept a secret. I'm not sure this many supernatural beings being in the know is the brightest plan you've come up with."

"Yeah, well, you have no room to talk, Nick," Caroline crosses her arms over her chest. "In case you haven't noticed, the six of us in the room can't do what Steve's plan calls for on our own. You're not sure who to trust within SHIELD anymore and I know we can trust my people because they sure as hell won't want Hydra running things. While my people might fight constantly, they can be trusted to come together to help protect the fate of the world."

Fury takes yet another moment to stare at Caroline, his one eye rolling in it's socket. "I still don't like it. But as stated earlier, Captain's calling the shots now."

"Well, alright then," Caroline claps her hands together soundly. "I know this is Steve's mission but I've always wanted to say this so I'm stealing his thunder." It's Steve's turn to roll his eyes, huffing fondly as Caroline grins proudly. "Everyone, _suit up!_"


	6. Chapter 6

Everyone starts moving after Caroline politely demanded they suit up, she giving a little happy dance where she stood when she couldn't contain her glee. Steve smiles at her though it's tight-lipped, and after a few seconds, he walks out of the room when he thinks no one is paying him any attention. But unbeknownst to him, Sam and Caroline were watching his every move. The two new friends catch each others gaze, both nodding and silently agreeing to go after him after they give him a moment of solitude. And when they give Steve a long good moment, they head out but before Caroline can even take a step towards the door, Natasha catches her gaze and gives her a strained smile because if anyone knew where they were going.. it was Nat.

Caroline and Sam make their way through the dimly lit corridors in silence, the both of them blinking against the sudden change in lighting when they're finally outside. Caroline can immediately hear the steady heartbeat of her boyfriend, she having to stomp the urge to use vampiric speed to get to him before Sam. Instead, she follows at Sam's pace as they walk and they find him on the bridge minutes later.

Steve's staring off in the distance, his mind clearly on something that has him upset. But after all they found out- especially the Winter Soldier's true identity- it isn't hard to piece together what has Steve upset. "He's going to be there, you know?" Sam says aloud, earning a jab to the gut from Caroline's elbow and a glare.

"Smooth. Real smooth."

Sam shrugs and as they both look back towards Steve, they find his lips faintly twitching before he's back to being solemn. "I know."

"Look," Sam sighs and Steve opens his arms as Caroline steps up to him, wrapping him up in a hug even though his body ends up engulfing hers when he returns the embrace. "-whoever he used to be- the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save. He's the kind you stop."

"So am I," Caroline retorts when she feels Steve tense, squeezing him briefly before letting go and moving until she was hip to hip with her boyfriend and staring back at Sam. "But my friends saved me and the Avengers let me live with them. Maybe there's a way we can get to him."

"There has to be," Steve mutters. "Because if it comes down to it, I don't know if I can stop him."

"He might not give you a choice," Sam says. "He doesn't know you anymore."

Steve lets Sam's words sink in, his cheek ticking as he clenches his jaw briefly. "He will." Staring up at him, Caroline can clearly see the gears turning in his head, Steve then staring down at her and pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. "Gear up. It's time."

Steve separates from Caroline and turns, walking away like a man on a mission. Before he can get too far away, Sam scoffs and calls out, "You gonna wear that?"

Steve pauses momentarily, glancing at his outfit before peering over his shoulder. "No. If you're gonna fight a war, you gotta wear a uniform."

Saying no more, Steve disappears at the end of the bridge and Caroline turns to face Sam. "Well, I guess it's time for us to suit up."

"Guess so," Sam smiles. "Do you even have a suit?" He asks as they start to head back the way they'd come. "I don't think that striped jacket of yours or those red jeans are mission acceptable."

"Please," the vampire scoffs. "-they're maroon.. and I'm sure agent Hill has gathered something for me. If not, I'll compel one of the agents that looks my size to swap clothing. No worries."

"You are one intriguing woman, Miss Forbes," Sam laughs. "Have I mentioned how grateful I am that you're on our side?"

Caroline throws her head back as she laughs, shaking her head fondly at the man at her side. "Yeah.. I think you mentioned it once."

**XxX**

Caroline's jumping in place and shimmying into black skinny leather pants that Agent Hill managed to scrounge up, she being grateful for the cotton cashmere asymmetrical long sleeve top with a draping cowl neckline, and knee-high buckle slouched boots that will allow her to blend in as an agent. Agent Hill is at Caroline's back, both women having no shame and changing together in the same room into their mission clothing while Sam geared up elsewhere. It's only when Caroline finds a crate to sit on to pull on the boots does she finally speak to the stoic agent.

"You know, if we make it out alive after all this, I'm pretty sure Tony will take you in. He's going to want to revamp his security and you're as loyal as they come."

Snorting, Hill turns. "You're talking about Stark, right? Arrogant billionaire who has a problem keeping his nose out of business that does not concern him?"

"The one and the same," Caroline chuckles, standing tall and getting a feel for boots and pants she's wearing. "He's not that bad, though," she then shrugs, her grin turning rather fond for someone talking about Stark. Agent Hill challenges her with a raised eyebrow and Caroline turns rather sheepish. "You didn't hear this from me but he's a rather great guy. He just has trust issues and once you work around that, he's pretty funny and charming."

"She's right, you know," Natasha says before Hill can retort. The clicking of heels throw Caroline off guard and when she turns, Natasha's wearing a cobalt work blazer and a fitted skirt in the same color that falls down to her knees. A chunky pearl necklace sits around the assassin's neck and instead of red hair, Natasha's wearing a dark blonde bob wig that curls beneath her chin. "I'm going undercover," Natasha answers Caroline's unasked question before looking back at Hill. "And Forbes is right; Tony is pretty decent but if you ever told him I said that, I'll kill you."

"Duly noted," Hill's lips twitch in amusement before catching Caroline's gaze. "And I'll keep that job in mind. Lord knows I'm going to need a new one after SHIELD falls."

Before anything else can be said, Fury struts into the room with his usual black trench coat billowing behind him. Agent Hill immediately moves to pick through a crate, picking out yet another black case and setting it atop several stacked crates in front of Natasha as Fury joins them. Sam shows up in a dark tee and dark pants, a jet pack strapped to his back that has many complicated straps over his chest and shoulders. After poking fun at each other's new outfits, both friends join the others in time to see agent Hill hand Natasha an ear piece that hooks around her ear to be hidden behind it.

Agent Hill gives Natasha a brief rundown of the new device, she telling the assassin that once activated, a technological film will cover her face and neck, and give everyone the impression that she was Councilwoman Hawley so she can be close to Pierce. The assassin has her mission and after tucking the device behind her ear- being careful not to activate it just yet- Natasha tersely nods at Fury and the both of them take their leave.

"So are we just waiting for Steve now?" Caroline asks, taking the gun holsters that agent Hill passes to her without a word, she strapping them to her thighs.

"Actually, I'm already back."

Agent Hill, Sam, and Caroline whirl around towards the entrance of the room, Steve standing there in his Captain America get-up. But it's not his modern suit that Caroline had grew accustomed to, it's his suit from World War II.

"Wasn't that on display?" Sam asks.

Steve grins sheepishly, readjusting his grip on the shield. "Well, I was gonna give it back."

"Oh, honey," Caroline bursts out laughing. "You stole from your exhibit? Tony's really going to have a ball with this."

Sighing, Steve frowns. "I know. Hill," he then turns his gaze on the agent. "You're driving."

"Of course, Captain. Let's get going."

**XxX**

Hill drives them towards the Triskelion after making sure everyone has a comm link in their ear, making sure to park in hiding a ways away so no one knew of their approach, and then they're walking through woods to get to their destination. On their way there, Sam had remembered Steve and Caroline talking about compulsion and asked aloud if Caroline could compel the Winter Soldier into submission if Steve didn't want to kill his friend, and possibly his memories. Steve couldn't believe he hadn't thought about that before, agent Hill was rather intrigued, and Caroline shrugged in response. She told them she could but that she literally had to be inches away from his face for it to work and she wasn't so sure about his memories- that only the most experienced and older vampires had the ability to retrieve memories. Steve had assured her that it was fine after seeing her guilty expression, and promised that they'd come back to this discussion at a later time once they had Bucky in their custody.

They nearly sneak into the building undetected- a guardsman catching them before Hill could bypass the security codes- but after he hesitated upon seeing Captain America, Caroline made the quick decision to compel him and send him on his way with no memories of their appearance. They keep themselves hidden up until they reach a small control room, Hill pursing her lips in contemplation as she stares at numerous buttons and wires around them.

"What now?" Caroline asks.

"Now," Hill answers. "-we cause a problem for the techies to come check out so we don't have to break down a door and gain more attention than necessary." Caroline watches as Hill pulls out a pen-like instrument from her pocket before finding a specific wire, she then running the tip of said instrument against the wire until the top of the pen lights up. There's no obvious sign that anything happened but Hill quickly pockets the instrument once more and readies her weapon. "I'd be ready if I were you."

Steve readjusts his grip on his shield, Sam readies a handgun of his own, and Caroline merely flashes Hill a brief smile so her fangs are visible- reminding the agent that she herself is a weapon. Hill smirks in return and nods in acceptance, the foursome preparing for battle. Steve takes the front with his shield held out front, Caroline hiding herself halfway behind his left arm with Sam at her side and agent Hill on Steve's right. It only takes a few minutes until Caroline hears footsteps approaching, she telling them as much so they're ready.

The door swings open, the young man freezing upon seeing Captain America himself and two guns pointed directly at him.

"Excuse us," Steve tells him and Caroline nearly loses it as the tech holds his hands up in surrender, and steps aside to let them in.

They rush pass the tech but Caroline makes sure to pat the guy's cheek in thanks before moving on, she quickly realizing that there were more agents in the hall but none were making a move against them. Agent Hill apparently knows where everything is so she's quick to lead them to yet another room- this one being the main control room that she needs to help her hack into the Insight Helicarriers once Steve and Sam do their job of exchanging the chips out. Caroline makes quick work of compelling the agents quiet and to remain calm before sending them on their way.

As Hill takes a seat at a table of computers, Sam and Caroline secure the room. Steve ends up standing in front of a panel of buttons, his eyes landing on the microphone protruding from the table-top. "Can this be used to talk to the entire building?"

"It can be," Hill answers Steve. "What do you have in mind?"

"It's time to weed out Hydra and let true members of SHIELD know exactly what's going on."

Agent Hill hums in agreement, her fingers flying over the tabletop keyboard. Sam smirks at Steve's plan and Caroline remains by the door, her hearing being used to alert the others in case someone is approaching.

"Done. The floor is yours, Captain," agent Hill says.

Steve nods, resting his palms on either side of the microphone and leans down to speak directly into it. "Attention, all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers." He pauses for a moment, meeting Caroline's gaze, and it isn't until she gives him an encouraging nod and smile that he continues. "You've heard a lot about me over the last few days; some of you were even ordered to hunt me down, but I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was; it's been taken over by Hydra. Alexander Pierce is their leader. The Strike and Insight crew are Hydra as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing next to you. They almost have what they want- absolute control. They shot Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Helicarriers today, Hydra will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them.

"I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high- it always has been- and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

As Steve trails off with the end of his speech, Sam slowly smiles in amusement. "Did you write that down first or was it off the top of your head?"

Steve slowly grins but then he's moving towards Caroline who's still by the door. "We need to move and move fast. Stay here and guard the door for agent Hill."

"Of course." Caroline's mouth opens as if she's going to say more but then her lips are pressing together in silence. For some reason, everything their mission entails doesn't really settle in until now and she's all sorts of conflicted. Her gaze locks with Steve and he can see the way her emotions are warring against one another but before he can call her out on it, her right hand is capturing the back of his neck and bringing him down for brief chaste kiss. Pulling back, she offers him a tight-lipped smile. "Don't die out there."

"They're initiating launch," Hill calls out.

Steve grimly nods at the agent, turning his attention back on his girlfriend. "I-I'll try my best." He pecks her lips one more time and then he's nudging her out of the way.

Grinning, Sam comes up behind Steve just before they exit the room and leers at Caroline playfully. "What.. no kiss for me?"

"You're such an idiot," she huffs. "Be careful out there, Sam."

"I make no promises."

Caroline only manages to roll her eyes before both men are out the door and she's left alone with Agent Hill. Securing the door once more, Caroline blurs up behind the agent to see what's going on as the agent switches back and forth between security feeds. And sure enough, it's hell in the Triskelion with agent turning on agent, the good separating themselves from the bad.

"Looks like Steve inspired the loyal agents," Hill muses.

"Looks like," Caroline agrees as she watches on anxiously, torn between watching what's going on and listening in for anyone outside their location.

The camera feeds switch to show outside the building, agents scrambling as a siren sounds along with Steve and Sam running- fighting off Hydra agents who are trying to stop them from boarding the helicarriers before they rise too high. As Hill's fingers fly over the keyboard, the feeds switch yet again but this time, they're watching Alexander Pierce and the Council.

"Why are we watching-" Pierce aims a gun at one of the Council members, Councilwoman Hawley striking within the blink of an eye. Caroline gasps, her lips slowly easing into a grin when she takes in the woman's outfit and fighting technique. "Nevermind. Nat just showed her hand." And sure enough, when the Councilwoman has the gun trained on Pierce, the woman's hand presses somewhere behind her ear only for her face to shimmer until the technological film is removed by Natasha. "Remind me to never piss off Natasha."

"Noted." Fingers flying over the keyboard again, Hill sighs. "Three thousand feet. Falcon, status?"

_"Engaging." _Caroline takes a deep breath, turning around to peer out the windows behind her to see what's going on. Agents have turned on one another and while she can't see Steve anywhere, she can see Sam flying around up in the sky as he avoids being shot at with bullets and bombs. Jets have redirected their attention on Sam but he manages to out-fly them and even shoot one down. _"Alright, Cap, I'm in." _Caroline breathes a sigh of relief but then another jet is on him again and shooting. _"Shit!"_

"What's going on?" Hill asks, eyes on the screens as she continues to hack through the system.

"Another jet found Sam," Caroline tells her. "He's having trouble switching out the chip."

Hill momentarily groans. "Eight minutes, Cap."

_"Working on it." _Yet another sigh of relief leaves Caroline as she hears Steve's voice barely even sounding winded, hands clenching at her side as the loyal SHIELD agents fall one right after the other. Then, _"Alpha locked."_

Agent Hill is typing furiously once more, Caroline returning to her side as her eyes dart over every screen. "Falcon, where are you now?" Hill asks.

_"I had to take a detour!" _

"Dammit," Caroline swears. "I should be out there helping. Your agents are falling way too quickly."

_"I'm in!" _Caroline tenses at Sam's words, praying everything works out in their favor. _"Bravo locked."_

"Two down, one to go." Caroline mutters.

Hill nods, the words _Alpha Level confirmed. Encryption code accepted. Safeguards removed_ making Hill smirk as she types some more. "Charlie Carrier's forty-five degrees off the port bow."

Knowing that Steve has the third chip makes Caroline is even more anxious than before. They nearly have the access they need but as usual, Hydra doesn't make anything that simple. The camera feeds show two incoming agents coming upon the control room door, and Caroline narrows her eyes before pushing off of Hill's chair and striding towards the door. "I got this," she tells the agent.

Letting instinct take over, Caroline feels as her fangs descend and the veins beneath her eyes pulse angrily. Hill watches as the door opens, two agents training their weapons inside the room but Caroline uses her speed to her advantage and blurs in front of them. Before they have time to process what's going on, Caroline's nails dig into their exposed throats and rip out their larynx's with a powerful tug. The agents don't even have enough time to scream or shout, Hill listening as they gurgle and fall to their knees outside the door, and Caroline kicks the door shut with a huff.

Turning around, Caroline's features slowly fade as she makes her way back to Hill's side where the agent snorts in amusement before giving her attention to the screens once more. "Six minutes," she tells Sam and Steve.

_"Cap? Cap, come in. Are you okay?"_

_"Yeah, I'm here! I'm still on the helicarrier."_

"Still?" Caroline frowns. "What does he mean by _still?_"

But Caroline's question goes unheard as Steve continues talking to Sam. _"Where are you?"_

_"I"m grounded. The suit's down. Sorry, Cap."_

_"Don't worry. I got it."_

"Sam?" Caroline's just about had enough of sitting out. "What the hell happened? Why are you grounded?!"

_"Uhh.."_

"Sam!"

_"Alright. Geez, woman, we just had a little run in with the Cap's bestie."_

"The soldier?" Caroline gasps. "He's here?!"

_"Yep. And he's pissed. Knocked Steve off the helicarrier and ripped one of my wings clean off. Steve's fine, though, he managed to hang on but I'm back on ground."_

"Good." Hill answers before Caroline can. "We need you inside. Rumlow's headed for the Council."

_"I'm on it."_

Caroline focuses on the screen showcasing Rumlow creeping through the halls of the Triskelion, her anger rising as he takes out a group of SHIELD agents. "You should have just let me at him," Caroline huffs. "I'm itchin' for a fight right about now."

"Yes, well, if Sam does poorly.. you can have a turn."

Caroline merely hums, eyes glued to the screen. She can now see Sam practically flying down the stairs in order to get to Rumlow before Rumlow can get to the main room where the Council is at- Sam then running into a room and letting the door shut behind him. Seconds tick by and Caroline's about to ask where Sam went when Rumlow suddenly appears on screen at the same door Sam had disappeared behind, he hesitantly opening the door and walking in with his gun ready to fire. Before Caroline can voice her opinion, Rumlow is yanked inside and then Agent Hill is switching camera feeds once more.

The feed from inside the room shows Rumlow and Sam attacking one another- Rumlow quickly getting the upper hand. "He's not an agent or soldier, Hill."

"And you are?" Agent Hill asks, peering over her shoulder.

Caroline frowns, gaze ping-ponging between the camera feed and Agent Hill's gaze. "No. But I'm more suited to taking on Rumlow than Sam is. I have strength Sam doesn't and Rumlow won't expect."

Caroline's gaze goes back to the screen, flinching as Sam takes two hits to the face. "Fine. Go help him. And Caroline," Hill calls out, halting Caroline in her hurried steps. "Rumlow's death wouldn't be a bad thing."

Caroline smirks rather deviously, her fangs descending on instinct at the thought of such violence. Within the blink of an eye, she blurs out of the room knowing full well that Agent Hill can take care of herself if need be. She knows exactly where Sam is so she doesn't waste time finding the stairwell and flying down the steps to the floor where she can actually hear Sam's grunts of pain.

She pauses outside the door, taking a deep breath and reining in her vampire visage. Sam's pain isn't helping but she manages and she pushes into the room just as she finds Sam laying on his back on the ground with shattered glass surrounding him, and Rumlow towering over him while panting. "This is gonna hurt," Rumlow says as Caroline quietly shuts the door behind her. Luckily for her, Sam doesn't look her way but she does see as his body seems to sag with relief on the ground. "There are no prisoners with Hydra; just order, and order only comes through pain. You ready for yours?"

"Man," Sam grunts. "-shut the hell up."

Despite the situation, Caroline giggles which draws both men's attention. Both incredulous stares rips another giggle from her, her hands flying up so her fingers cover her mouth in mock innocence. She coyly shakes her head so her blonde waves bounce, Sam slowly climbing to his feet now that Rumlow is distracted. "Brock Rumlow," Caroline's lips twitch in amusement. "-you dirty little weasel. You were Hydra this entire time."

Tired, sweating, and now deeply curious, Brock smirks at her. "You again. Weren't you at the hospital the night Fury died?" Caroline merely nods, keeping her smile on display and holding her feet shoulder-width apart as she readies her body to spring into action. "What's a pretty little thing like you being tied up in all this?"

"Your precious little agency is trying to kill my boyfriend, and you- you're hurting my friend." Her smile suddenly drops, her back straightens up, and her gaze goes steely. "I don't like people messing with what's mine."

"Boyfriend?" He scoffs, and then like a light bulb going off over his head, he knows who she's talking about. "You're Cap's dirty little secret? Hydra knew the man was hiding some-"

"Screw Hydra," Caroline snarls and Sam has to bite his inner cheek to keep from laughing. This was the first time he saw the bubbly blonde vampire as something truly terrifying. "Your loyalties were placed in the wrong hands, Rumlow."

"Really?"

"Really. I can guarantee your precious little leader didn't prepare you for me." Rumlow's smile widens, showing that he found Caroline amusing but as the whites of Caroline's eyes bleed red, veins slither to the surface and pulse angrily, and fangs peek out from parted lips with a hiss- Caroline knows that he just realized he's in way over his head. "Like I said, your loyalties were with the wrong people."

Brock's eyes widen as he gulps and slides into a fighting stance but Caroline disappears from his vision as he blinked, and her small frame ends up behind him without him knowing. Since he's taller than her, one hand comes up to grip the front of his throat and pulls him backward so he's bending back uncomfortably. Her grip is tight so he can't escape and then he's hollering from pain the moment Caroline sinks her fangs into the side of his neck. She takes a few pulls of blood into her mouth before ripping out her fangs harshly and lets him go, he stumbling forward and scrambling for a weapon at his thigh.

Mouth covered in red, Caroline stands protectively in front of Sam and snarls again at Brock when he faces her, his gun pointed directly at her. He fires once, hitting Caroline in the middle of her chest. She merely grunts at the impact, glances down where a hole in her dark shirt is visible then glances back up at Brock, and hisses in rage. His eyes widen and he mumbles angrily at the fact that the bullet didn't take her down but before the thought of firing again can enter his mind, Caroline blurs in front of him and backhands him across the room. She watches as he lands with an _oomph! _but manages to quickly roll back to his feet in a daze.

Caroline sneers and takes a step to attack again but Sam grips her elbow and tugs her back to him. When she looks at him and hisses in displeasure, she sees that his gaze is not directed at her but at the bank of windows where a helicarrier on fire seems to be getting closer and closer to. "Run!"

The collision of the helicarrier crashing into the building makes both Sam and Caroline stumble- both of them quickly righting themselves and running towards the opposite bank of windows. "Please, tell me you got that chopper in the air?!" Sam hollers, Caroline quickly realizing he's speaking through the comms.

_"Sam, where are you?" _Natasha answers, Caroline hearing it through her link as well.

Both Sam and Caroline jump over fallen furniture, their feet barely keeping ahead of the buckling floor as they dodge falling debris as well. "Forty-first floor, North-west corner! Forbes is with me!"

_"We're on it. Stay where you are!"_

"Not an option!" Sam yells.

He trips over a chair but never face-plants seeing as Caroline had quickly gripped his wrist and yanked him upright once more, pulling him with her as she puts a little more speed into their escape. The bank of windows is now directly in front of them and neither hesitate to curl in on themselves as they throw their combined weight at the glass- the glass shattering as they plummet towards the ground. However, instead of plummeting towards solid ground, a helicopter is below them and turns on it's side so Caroline and Sam fall directly into the opened doorway where Natasha is buckled in at. They make a hard landing on the opposite door of the helicopter, their combined weight breaking it and Sam nearly plummets to his death but both Natasha and Caroline manage to grab onto him, pulling him in as Fury rights the aircraft and flies away.

"Forty-first floor. Forty-first!" Sam yells, panting harshly.

"It's not like they put the floor numbers on the outside of the building," Fury replies.

"Hill, where's Steve?" Natasha asks through a microphone headset. "You got a location on Rogers?"

_"He was on the helicarrier. He told me to blow it. I'm sorry."_

Caroline's head snaps up to meet Natasha's gaze after hearing Hill's answer, the blonde shaking her head in denial. Her eyes quickly fill with tears but she quickly wills them away and leans out of her seat to be closer to Fury. "You keep us in the air," she practically seethes, her hurt and anger getting the best of her. "We have to find to him."

Fury doesn't reply- nor does he even look at Caroline- but the nod tells the vampire that he heard her loud and clear. When Caroline falls back into her seat, both Sam and Natasha are staring at her with pity but she ignores them in favor of leaning out the opened doorway, and scanning the water below with all the burning wreckage. One helicarriers still remains airborne though it's slow descent tells everyone it'll be in the water soon.

"We'll find him, Caroline. Steve's too stubborn to die now that he has you. We'll find him."

Natasha's words go unheard and Caroline feels a tad bit guilty but her fear for Steve's well being quickly squashes it. Fury makes sure to keep a distance from the last remaining helicarrier but an explosion from the inside of it draws Caroline's attention. Beams and glass and burning debris are falling into the water below but her eyes are trained on the opening she's found- a man dangling from a bent beam with a metal arm. Her vision clouds with seething rage and her mind doesn't even consider how the Winter Soldier is looking rather forlorn down into the water. After a pregnant pause, he lets go of his grip on the beam and maneuvers his body so he dives into the water below.

"There," Caroline points out in the direction the Soldier disappeared into the water. "Get me closer to there."

Mouth covered in blood and rage clearly etched into every feature, Sam nor Natasha try speaking to Caroline but they do watch and yell after her when she suddenly flings herself out of the helicopter and into the Potomac below.

* * *

**Woo, Caroline's pissed! Up next, we have Caroline finally meeting the Winter Soldier :D However, I've caught up with the finished chapters on my laptop so the next update should be a while since I've yet to write it =/ I'll try to finish it within a week but there's no promises. **

**Also, I'd like to know what you thought of this chapter as well your thoughts about a possible Supernatural/Walking Dead crossover. I've really been missing a certain character and what better way to bring him/her back than introducing the Supernatural fandom to the Walking Dead fandom?**


	7. Chapter 7

Though angered, Caroline hits the water in a graceful dive. The height of her fall carries her a good way under the water, she struggling to keep her eyes open and searching for any sign of a metal arm shining beneath the water. But given that the the Helicarrier is blowing to pieces above the Potomac and falling into the same river Caroline saw the Winter Soldier dive into, it's hard to differentiate between the debris and what could possibly be a metal arm. So she pumps her legs to propel her further beneath the water, as well as her arms, dodging debris and continues searching.

It feels like forever until a particular glint catches Caroline's eye, but really it's probably less than a minute seeing as her lungs haven't started demanding oxygen, and she follows it. For a moment she thinks it's just more debris but through the murky water she can faintly make out the red star on the Soldier's arm. And in a brief moment of shock at seeing that she actually found him, Caroline stops swimming to just hover there under water. But then he's reaching down below to grip something before maneuvering himself so he's now swimming back to the surface, and when Caroline realizes that it's _Steve, _she sees red.

Her sudden rage squashes any rational thought and she's back to propelling herself through the water to follow her boyfriend. And when Caroline finally breaks the surface of water, it's only from her nose on up as she glares at the Winter Soldier dragging a severely beaten and seemingly unconscious Steve onto the bank.

Eyes bleeding red and fangs elongating, Caroline hisses in displeasure though it goes unheard since her mouth is underwater. The moment the Winter Soldier releases Steve on the bank and stumbles off to the side, Caroline launches herself through the water with such speed that the Winter Soldier doesn't see her coming until it's too late.

Caroline's the definition of a monster as she sails through the air- water dripping from her entire frame and hair matted down. Her small fist connects with the Soldier's abdomen with such force that it knocks all air from his lungs, and he's forced to double over while gasping for breath. And then with her left first, she backhands the Soldier so hard across the face that he actually flies a few feet away.

In the seconds that it takes the Winter Soldier to right himself, Caroline positions herself in between him and Steve, and stands there defiantly. The veins beneath her eyes pulse angrily and her fangs are visible through her parted lips as she pants- trying to contain her fury.

Through a curtain of dark matted air, the Soldier glares at Caroline even as his right arm seems to be injured. But Caroline- she knows not to underestimate him. So when he strides forward with purpose, Caroline meets him halfway and they begin to trade blows.

She's fast enough to dodge the swings of his metal fist, and to jump out of the way of his booted feet when he aims a kick, and she doesn't know who's more surprised- him or her- when she lands another punch to his jaw and an elbow to his chest. But even with her vampire reflexes and strength, Caroline is known to make mistakes. And currently, she hadn't expected for the Soldier to quickly examine and calculate one of her steps which allows him to strike out with his metal hand, and grip her by the throat.

Eyes widening in both shock and fear, Caroline's anger quickly vanishes and her hands fly to the metal hand that's now squeezing it's fingers, and cutting off her oxygen supply. Her feet completely leave the ground as the Soldier brings her face inches from his, his heavy breath beating against her face as gray eyes filled with rage bore into her blue/red.

"S-stop," Caroline rasps. "Bucky, s-stop." Feet kicking wildly, nothing had phased him until the name _Bucky _left her mouth. The Soldier blinks rapidly three times in a row, his gaze no longer focused on Caroline but rather whatever's in his mind. And in the brief moment of hesitation, Caroline wills her vampires features to fade so all that Soldier sees is a girl- not a monster. "We- we need t-to stop, B-Bucky. Steve wouldn't w-want this."

Hearing Steve's name, the Soldier's gaze snaps back to Caroline though instead of being angry, he's confused and curious. Caroline can see the lost broken man- his haunted eyes making her feel a wave of remorse for the man that used to be her boyfriend's best friend. _"Punk?"_

Caroline freezes at his gravelly voice, shrugging as best as she can before her toes try reaching for the ground once more. "Can't.. breathe. Put.. me down." The Soldier complies with letting her feet touch the ground and lessens the pressure around her throat, but he doesn't let go. Caroline coughs once and then twice, she gulping beneath his fingers. "I'm sorry I attacked. My instincts took over when I saw how bad Steve was beaten."

The Soldier doesn't speak though Caroline doesn't blame him seeing as he's lost in thought once more. She needs to get out of his grasp- to take more than a few steps away from him before he decides to do something drastic. But she doesn't want to startle him so her only option is to stay put and talk soothingly. "Do you- do you remember him?" She asks, careful not to make any sudden movements and gestures to Steve's unconscious form.

The Soldier gulps, his saddened gaze turning to his once friend when the shout of, _"Caroline!", _startles him. Caroline mentally swears, biting her tongue to keep from shouting back and then the metal fingers are once again squeezing. Eyes bulging, Caroline meets the Soldier's gaze head on only to see the fury and rage there once more. "No. Wait!" But the Winter Soldier doesn't heed her words this time. Instead, he grips until Caroline can feel her throat crushing beneath his fingers, blood filling her mouth as she coughs and sprays the red liquid across the Soldier's face. He doesn't blink and once again, Caroline's feet leave the ground.

Caroline starts struggling as hard as she can, her kicks doing nothing to phase him as she hangs in the air. Within a split second, she's suddenly brought closer again, only this time her face is practically over the Soldier's shoulder. She's then flung backwards with such force that her fingertips barely scrape the metal arm, and she doesn't scream as she sails through the air. However, she does scream when a sharp object- a wayward tree branch she'll later learn- pierces her through the back and out the middle of her chest.

As her hands come up to grip the blood covered branch, her mind registers the fact that the Soldier is still glaring. So with her mind working quickly, Caroline makes it seem as if she's taking her last few breaths before letting her body go limp and her hands fall to her sides. Since her eyes had closed, she relies on her vampiric hearing to tell her when the Soldier walks away and is far away enough that she can find a way to get herself out of her current predicament.

Unluckily for Caroline, the way she landed- nearly lying flat on her back- leaves her in an awkward position to pull herself off the branch. But luckily for her, when she gives up on trying to get free, her hearing picks up on approaching running footsteps. _"Caroline?!"_

"Here! I'm over here!" She manages to yell back. The running footsteps and hammering heartbeats get even closer, and soon enough both Sam and Natasha are breaking through a line of trees. When she sees their faltered footsteps and startled expressions, she waves them off with a grimace. "Steve. Get Steve."

Their gazes follow the direction in which Caroline points- Natasha immediately making a beeline for him. But Sam- Sam rushes to Caroline's side. "Christ, girl. What the hell happened?"

"I went toe to toe with the Winter Soldier," her nose wrinkles in pain as she tries to move. "Now help me up."

"Uh, you sure about that?" He eyes her warily.

Groaning, Caroline lets her head fall back and her palms slap the ground softly. "Vampire, remember? We're not immune to pain so it's going to hurt like hell but I'll heal."

Sam is hesitant to help but after sighing and then pushing up to stand tall, he gives his body a quick shake down to prepare himself for what he's about to do. "Alright, give me your hands." Caroline's quick to comply, her arms lifting and her hands finding purchase within Sam's. "On three."

"Just pull!"

"Three!"

Sam yanks, he having to tug Caroline more than once at a slight angle just to get her free. He grimaces and nearly looks away as he pulls her body off the thick branch, and Caroline muffles her shout of agony by biting her lip. Once free, he watches as the gaping wound in Caroline's chest fades but not before she loses a good deal of blood. And once steady on her own feet, Sam lets Caroline lean on him as they then stumble their way towards Natasha who's checking Steve's vitals and talking to someone via her comm link.

"Is he going to be okay?" Sam steals Caroline's question.

"I'm not sure. He took quite the beating," Natasha answers distractedly. "What the hell happened?" The redhead then asks Caroline who's frowning down at her boyfriend, tears quickly filling the vampire's eyes.

"The Winter Soldier was pulling Steve from the river when I found them," she tells her two friends. "My anger got the best of me and I attacked him when he left Steve here. We traded hits, he one-upped me, I called him Bucky and then he.. he stopped. He remembered."

"He _remembered_? He remembered who he was?!" Sam asks. Natasha looks as shocked as Sam but her attention is torn between hearing the story and keeping Steve alive.

"Only briefly. He stopped hurting me when I asked but then he got startled and it was like a flip was switched. He was back on Soldier mode and he flung me into the trees. I pretended that the chest wound killed me and he left. Then you showed up."

"So he's near?"

"No. He was out of hearing range before you appeared," Caroline shakes her head. "And my hearing can go pretty far." Sam and Natasha nod in understanding and then the blonde's gaze falls back to her boyfriend as she listens intently to his heartbeat and breathing. "Nat," her eyes widen a few seconds later. "-his heartbeat is slowing! He- he's," her eyes quickly fill with tears before they're spilling over her cheeks. "I need to feed him blood!"

"Don't!" But Caroline has already bit into her wrist. Natasha actually slaps Caroline's arm away when the blonde nears, the redhead shaking her head. "Every single person watching TV today have seen what Steve's been through. Yes, he's a super soldier, but not even a super soldier can heal that fast. He needs to show up to the hospital with his wounds."

"And if he dies before then? Then what?!" Caroline retorts, gaze ping-ponging between Natasha and Steve. "Please, Natasha, just a drop or two. It won't be enough to heal him completely, and hopefully it'll heal any internal injuries. _Please._"

Natasha hesitates and it's Sam's two cents of, "If it'll save his life, why not?", that has the redhead finally agreeing.

Caroline's quick to drop to her knees, reopening the bite wound on her wrist and allowing two drops of her blood to fall into Steve's mouth that's being held open by Natasha. The sound of sirens wailing in the distance appear to be getting closer and Natasha's quick to catch Caroline's gaze.

"Maria is sending trusted help. Go!" She tells her. "The both of you can't show up looking like you do since the public doesn't have your identities. You and Sam head back to his place, clean up and change clothes. Meet me at the hospital where they operated on Fury."

Gulping, Caroline nods numbly before looking around them. "Where _is _Nick?"

"Wanted to remain dead," Sam supplies. "Now come on, Forbes. We should head out before anyone sees us."

Frowning, Caroline's gaze falls back to Steve though she's greatly relieved to hear his heartbeat a little stronger than before. "Y-yeah. Okay." And then catching Natasha's gaze, she forces a strained smile across her face. "Keep him safe for me."

Natasha nods before speaking to whoever's listening in on the comms, directing them to their location. Then with one last moment to take in Steve's still breathing form, Caroline sends a quick prayer to her mom to keep an eye out over her boyfriend before standing and wrapping an arm around Sam's waist. They were in a hurry so hurry she did. And if Sam didn't like travelling via vampire, well then he can complain later.

* * *

Two days later, Caroline finds herself staying in Steve's hospital room without leaving. She had compelled the Doctors and Nurses to leave her and Sam be, and Agent Hill talked to the law enforcement guarding Steve's room about Sam and Caroline being the only two allowed to be with the Captain.

When Natasha had gotten Steve to the hospital, she lingered around until Caroline and Sam came back, and Caroline compelled the Doctor for answers on Steve's situation. He had a lot of bruising, a few gun shot wounds, numerous broken ribs and other broken bones. There were internal lacerations that confused the doctors because they appeared to be healing right before their eyes, and a couple visible lacerations to Steve's face that they easily stitched up.

The Doctor then told them that Steve would make it, especially since his body was practically healing right before their eyes, but that even someone like him wouldn't be immune to the amount of pain that he would feel when he woke up. So instead of letting Steve wake up, Natasha and Caroline thought it best they pumped him full of morphine to keep him under and in less pain while his body healed itself. So with Steve in the clear, Natasha snuck out but not before telling Caroline that they'd meet up again soon.

That first night with Steve in the hospital, Agent Hill and Caroline made quick work of sending away the news reporters so no one knew of Captain America's location. And then when nurses inevitably gave up information on Steve's health, Tony called in a few favors to have Steve transferred to another hospital there in D.C and even paid for a private room. So Sam and Caroline stayed with Steve, taking clothes to shower in his private bathroom and never leaving his side. Sam even set up a small speaker system with his phone, playing a bunch of Marvin Gaye that Caroline found herself sometimes humming along to while busying herself with letting her friends know that Steve was healing.

On the second day, however, Steve surprisingly wakes. He's groggy, sore, and in pain but the sight of Caroline dressed in blue tunic that falls to her hips and black leggings has him slowly smiling. It might also be the fact that she's tending to a ten foot teddy bear wearing something suspiciously identical to a Captain America suit in the corner of his room, blonde waves cascading down her back while cursing Stark to the high heavens that leaves him without speaking a word.

He takes a moment to drink in the wall of flowers and balloons, wondering who sent them when his mind then registers the unfamiliar music playing low in his room- the beat being something that he can find himself listening to later. When he finds the source, he then looks elsewhere in the room only to find Sam at his side reading a book. "On your left," he rasps.

Sam startles, smiling when he sees Steve's awake and Caroline whirls around with wide eyes before showing up on Steve's right within the blink of an eye. "You're awake!"

"Of course, I am. Promised your mother I'd take care of you, remember?" Caroline's breath stutters in her chest, eyes filling with tears as she smiles in relief. She's quick to bend down, cradling Steve's face in her hands before leaning in to press kisses anywhere and everywhere while being mindful of his injuries. "I'm okay, Care. I'm okay."

"You nearly weren't," she admits, leaving her forehead to lay against his with her eyes closed. "I begged Natasha to let me give you a few drops of blood. She wouldn't let me heal you all the way because the people who saw the fight on TV needed to see your injuries. There was no way the serum could have healed you as quickly as my blood would have."

"Yeah, man. The Soldier did a pretty good number on you," Sam pipes up. "It was touch and go there for a moment." Steve frowns as Caroline stands straight once more and smooths out her outfit, Sam then awkwardly clearing his throat. "The Doctor will want to know you're awake," he addresses Steve as he stands. "I'll just- I'll just take the long way. You guys talk."

Caroline giggles in response, hugging Sam in thanks on his way out before she's taking Sam's chair and picking up Steve's hand in her own. She catalogs the bruising on his cheek that is now light purple, green, and yellow- his healing having healed most of it already. But still, there's stitching on his right cheek bone and on the left side where his lips meet in the corner. "You still look like hell."

"I feel it," he squeezes her hand in comfort. "Are you okay? You didn't run into trouble, did you?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle," she murmurs. "Sam was having some trouble with Rumlow so I intervened. The Triskelion crumbled on top of him so you don't have to worry about him anymore."

"And after?"

"After," Caroline continues, averting her gaze now. "Sam and I jumped into the helicopter Fury was flying before the building could fall on us, too. We looked for you when Maria told us you told her to blow the Helicarrier with you still in it." Steve grimaces but Caroline's quick to shush him. "It's okay, I understand. It's who you are, Steve. You're a good person so, of course, you'd be willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of the world. I get it." He deflates with relief and after a smile of reassurance, Caroline focuses on his pillow instead of holding his gaze. "I saw- I saw the Winter Soldier diving into the Potomac and I- I was enraged. I followed him under water, kept my distance, but when I saw that he had you- I lost control."

"Caroline," Steve breathes in shocked awe. "Did he hurt you?"

"We fought," she shrugs and with a gulp, she's finally able to meet his gaze once more. "He saw me for who I really am- a vampire. He was fast but I was faster. And I was smart but he was smarter. He calculated my moves and managed to wrap his hand around my throat. When I couldn't breathe, I called him Bucky.. and I think he remembered."

"He remembered?!" Steve grimaces as he tries to sit up and Caroline's quick to push him back down.

"Yes, I think. He looked so vulnerable, Steve, and it looked as if he was warring with his memories. Though when I asked him to stop squeezing my throat, he complied." Steve's staring at her wide-eyed and Caroline sheepishly chuckles before continuing. She knows he's not going to like this next bit. "Sam and Natasha were looking for me and when he heard them shouting, he snapped back into the Soldier. He flung me into the trees and I was impaled by a branch. I played dead and he left."

"He staked you!"

"On accident," she grimaces. "Don't worry about it. Besides, you're angry at the wrong thing. I attacked him, Steve. I attacked him knowing he was your friend."

"But you didn't kill him," Steve says. "That's what really matters. That and.. well," he shifts in bed. "-did you want to kill him?"

"No! No," she denies. "I was just angry. Seeing you as hurt as you were, it scared me. My emotions took over and all I knew was that I wanted him to hurt. But I- he snapped me out of that pretty fast when he caught me off guard."

"Then that's good," he assures her. "It's okay."

It's Caroline's turn to deflate with relief, she wiping away the tears that had yet to fall as Steve scooted over in his bed and patted the space beside him. She's careful to climb in next to him, staying atop the covers and curling into his side with her head gently laying on his arm as it then curled behind her.

**XxX**

A few hours later finds Steve, Caroline, and Sam at the local cemetery standing before Fury's grave. After Steve had been looked over by the Doctor and Steve walked around the room to show said Doctor that he was fine and capable of signing himself out, Steve asked Caroline for some of her blood as Sam drove them back to his place so Steve could shower and change.

No one's sure why they decided to visit Fury's grave and no one is surprised when the man himself shows up wearing a hoodie and sunglasses. "So, you've experienced this sort of thing before?" He asks, staring down at his own empty grave.

Steve shrugs. "You get used to it."

"Yeah, you do," Caroline agrees, startling everyone to stare at her. "You wouldn't believe how many empty graves are in Mystic Falls- all of 'em being victims of vampires."

"Remind me to never visit that place," Sam then breaks the following silence.

Caroline giggles and Fury huffs before giving his attention to Steve. "We've been data-minding Hydra's files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship. I'm heading to Europe tonight; wanted to ask if you'd come."

Shaking his head, Steve denies. "There's something I gotta do first."

"How about you, Wilson? I could use a man with your abilities."

"I'm more of a soldier than a spy."

"Alright then," Fury nods in understanding. His gaze then lands on Caroline who's smirking at him, he inhaling deeply before letting his breath rush out all at once. "Aw, hell. Who are we kidding," he shakes his head at her. "I'd stake you before the first day was over."

Caroline barks out a quick laugh, nodding in agreement just as Fury moves to shake both Sam and Steve's hands. "Anybody asks for me, tell them they can find me right here," he then gestures to his grave. Looking towards Caroline, he nods is acknowledgement. "See 'ya around, Forbes."

"See 'ya, Nicky."

Fury grumbles as he walks away which makes Caroline laugh in return. And before Fury can walk out of sight, Natasha appears to join the group with a folder in hand and stops in front of Steve. "You should be honored. That's about as close as he gets to saying thank you."

"Not going with him?" The super soldier wonders.

"No."

"Staying here?" Caroline guesses.

Again, Natasha shakes her head. "I blew all my covers. I gotta lay low and figure out a new one."

Steve's lips twitch in amusement, hands delving into his jean pockets. "That might take a while."

"I'm counting on it." Natasha grins and Steve chuckles. A moment later, she's back to business. "That thing you asked for, I called in a few favors from Kiev." And as she hands him the folder she'd been carrying, she leans up on the tips of her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "Be careful, Steve. You might not want to pull on that thread."

Caroline shifts from foot to foot, she knowing full well what it is that the folder contains. After all, she'd been in the room when Steve had asked. So as Natasha turns to walk away and Steve opens up the folder with a sigh as he stares at the picture of a frozen Bucky Barnes, Caroline calls out to the redhead. "Wait!" Natasha comes to a stop and turns to face the blonde, eyebrow raised in question. "Think you can give me a ride to New York before riding off to figure out new identities?"

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Caroline then gives her attention to Steve and shrugs. "What? It doesn't take a genius to figure out you're going after him," she says as she gestures to the folder in his hands. "And as much as I love you, you're going to need to put all your focus on this new mission. We both know I'll only distract you."

Steve's cheeks turn the faintest of pink though he smiles at Caroline to let her know he sees her logic, and it's Sam who breaks the slight tension by clapping Steve on the back with a wide smile. "So, you going after him?"

"You don't have to come with me," Steve says when he sees Sam's expectant expression.

"I know. When do we start?"

But before Sam and Steve can start planning, Caroline and Steve have a moment to themselves. Again, promises are made to keep safe and seeing as they're in a cemetery, the kisses are kept short and chaste to be respectful of those resting in their graves. Sam and Steve then head off in one direction, and Caroline follows Natasha in the other. While Natasha had plans to reinvent herself, Caroline needs to get back to work as soon as possible while simultaneously cleaning up the mess now that SHIELD was no longer.

* * *

**I apologize for zero romance with Steve and Caroline but come on.. can you blame me? There was absolutely no time for fluff. But fear not.. I'll be bringing back some humor in the next chapter and fluff should be soon to follow. Also, did I mention I'm bringing back in some other friends? And no, I'm not talking about the Mystic Falls crew although we do get an update from them :)**

**Leave a review to tell me your favorite parts?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Quick Note! One kind reader kindly wondered, _"Where the hell is Stefan?"_, and I'd first like to say that I'm terribly sorry! It somehow slipped my mind to include him in Caroline's group phone call when they were setting up the second line of supernatural defense. So yes, Stefan stayed in New York to help Tony keep the Tower on lock down. We're not really going to see Stefan sadly and you'll see why in this chapter :)**

* * *

A month and a half later, and things still haven't gotten back to normal.

Tony and Bruce have put a stop to all their current projects in favor of sitting in front a screen of computers, pulling every file they can off the internet that Natasha had released of SHIELD and HYDRA. Pepper is busy with attending meetings for Stark Industries while also acting as the Avengers' spokeswoman and giving statements that they had no idea HYDRA was rooted inside SHIELD, and that some of the Avengers were responsible for dismantling the agency when they learned the truth in order to keep the world safe. And Caroline- Caroline surprisingly was put on the Industries security detail under the leadership of Maria Hill.

Since HYDRA agents were everywhere, Tony had every single employee- as well as the employees of the establishments that they frequently visited for breakfast, lunch, and dinner- screened to make sure they checked out as safe. Maria- with Caroline in tow- handled all SI employees, interviewing each and every one in separate rooms. Maria tackled them first, grilling them with questions that were Tony and Pepper approved. After Maria, she sent them to the next room where Caroline asked one simple question with compulsion. And together, the ladies weeded out three HYDRA agents who braved staying at the Tower to uncover any secrets they could.

So needless to stay, Tony then split his time between browsing the internet for files and building a decent holding cell below the Tower to hold the HYDRA men and woman until Steve came back to make the final decision about what to do with them.

* * *

With the sun beating down on her, Caroline struts down the sidewalk towards the front entrance of Stark Industries. With her blonde curls bouncing with every step she takes, as well as the tie-dye pleated skater skirt of her galaxy printed dress, Caroline grips a plastic bag full of food in one hand and the cardboard handle of a drink's carrying tray in the other. She ignores the still lingering news reporters and paparazzi with their flashing and recording cameras, her head held high as she calls out a simple, "No comment!", over her shoulder.

The doorman greets her with a nod as he opens the door for her, and Caroline returns the greeting with a brilliant smile. The heels of her ankle cuff peep toe platforms click against the marbled flooring, she making her way to the private elevator that hits every floor of SI including the private floors that were off limits to the employees. And once the doors close behind her, JARVIS greets her.

"_Good afternoon, Miss Caroline. Did you enjoy your lunch?"_

"Haven't eaten yet, J," she says, lifting her arms slightly towards the direction of the camera in the upper left corner. "Have the boys, Miss Potts, or Miss Hill taken a break yet?"

"_They have not," _He confirms. _"Would you like me to round them up and send them to the Common's kitchen?"_

"I've got Miss Hill but if you could get the others, that'd be great."

"_Of course, Miss Caroline."_

Caroline beams up at the camera, the doors soon opening up on the now familiar floor of Security. "Thanks, J," she calls out, striding off the elevator in search of the woman in question.

Passing up several men and women, all of whom make up several teams that share rotations around Stark Tower to make sure it's occupants are kept as safe as possible, Caroline greets everyone with a polite _hello. _The Security floor is pretty much like the private Common's floor- complete with a sitting room, flat screen TV, couches, and a full kitchen- as well as a few sleeping rooms with bunks for the overnight and early morning rotations, a meeting room, and Maria's main office.

Somehow, in the midst of weeding out HYDRA scum, Maria and Caroline had struck up an odd friendship as well as Maria and Pepper. So as she approaches Maria's already opened office, she sticks her head in with a smirk. "Take a break, Maria. I've got lunch."

Maria's head snaps up from the files she has laid out before her, her gaze falling to the Panera Bread bag in Caroline's hand. "I'm not leaving this floor unless there's a Fuji Apple Chicken salad in there."

"Not only did you get your salad but I also got you some mac and cheese, and a lemonade to wash it all down."

"Excellent." Immediately standing, Caroline can't help but grin at the change from 'agent' to 'Maria'. Instead of the SHIELD catsuit, Maria looks entirely different in an elegant navy blue pant suit. "Commons?" She then asks after closing up all the files on her desk.

"Commons." Caroline confirms. "I brought lunch for everyone."

"Of course, you did," the brunette teases, locking up her office before heading for the elevator. "You're Caroline Forbes. You do _everything._"

"Oh, you love it. Don't act like it's an annoyance." Maria snorts in amusement and in the next moment, she slips into professional mode as she nods tersely to each of her employees. And when she and Caroline enter the elevator, Caroline can't help but crack up. "You know, even without the catsuit and gun at your thigh, you're still pretty scary."

"You love it," Maria remarks just as the doors close to zip them up to the Common's floor.

When the two women make it to the Common's floor and walk into the kitchen, they're met by Bruce, Pepper, and Tony.

"JARVIS said you had Panera," Tony claps his hands together and rubs enthusiastically. "Lay it on me, Little Bit."

Caroline chuckles, setting the drinks and bag of food on the counter space behind the bar as Maria settled on one of the stools near Pepper to settle down at the bar. Unloading the drinks first, Caroline passes Pepper a Tropical Hibiscus Iced Tea, Maria her promised Lemonade, Bruce the Iced Green Tea, and Tony the Tropical Fruit Punch. Maria then gets her salad and mac-n-cheese, Pepper gets a Roasted Turkey and Avocado BLT while Caroline keeps the second for herself, Bruce gets the Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich and Tortellini Alfredo, and Tony gets two Chicken Chipotle Panini's with a side cup of mac-n-cheese as well.

Caroline chooses to stand on her side of the bar, making her way to the refrigerator where her styrofoam cup of blood sits cooling. She pops it real quick in the microwave, heating it up and then makes her way back to her food only to see everyone else already digging in.

"I've died on gone to heaven," Tony groans with a mouth full of food, somehow managing to shove yet another spoonful of macaroni in there. "We should just have this delivered instead of Forbes driving to and from."

"Don't you dare. I enjoy what little time I have to escape the craziness that is our workplace."

Bruce grins behind his sandwich, remaining quiet as he enjoys his small lunch break and Caroline winks at him playfully before starting her own lunch. They enjoy a brief wind down from work, Caroline catching them up on Steve's progress in his search for Bucky as well as Clint's sudden attachment to a certain witch back in Mystic Falls.

Tony and Caroline gossip about their friend's non existent love lives, the rest of the group listening in as if uninterested but Caroline and Tony know better. Just because they're quiet doesn't mean they're not soaking up all the information they can. And it's when Caroline reaches for her phone- to show proof of Clint and Bonnie's closeness that Elena had sneakily taken- that everyone's day gets a little bit more stressful. As Caroline's scrolling through her numerous photos, her Stark Phone starts glitching in hand. Never having seen it do that before, her brows furrow in confusion. "What the.."

"What?" Tony asks.

"My phone," she frowns. "It's glitching."

Tony snorts, shaking his head. "Stark technology doesn't glitch."

"It does now," she informs him, showing how the screen glitches between her bright screen to a black screen. As she turns the screen back to her face, her eyes widen and she softly gasps when an all too familiar logo takes over her screen. "Maria? I thought SHIELD was done for."

"It is," Tony answers before Maria can. "Why?"

"Look." She turns the screen outward again, everyone except for Maria looking wary. And when Caroline notices how calm and collected the brunette is, her right eyebrow raises as if questioning her what's going on. "Maria?"

All eyes turn to Hill when she sighs and deflates. "Fury might have contacted me a couple days ago and let me know that Coulson was the new Director of the new SHIELD."

"And you didn't think to tell us?!" Tony nearly yells, disgruntled by not knowing sooner.

"I was doing background checks," she shrugs. "I wanted to vet everyone by their files before I took it to anyone else."

When the phone starts glitching again, Pepper's the first to notice it and point it out. Caroline quickly turns the screen back towards her, Maria and Tony scrambling off their stools to rush around the bar to be at Caroline's side. And when the phone stops glitching yet again, it's to a live video feed.

"Skye?!" Caroline's eyes widen.

"_Hey, blondie, miss me?"_

"I- How- What?"

Skye smiles nervously, her gaze darting to Tony and then Maria as both people squeeze into camera view, and Caroline rearranges the phone's angle. _"Hello, Mr. Stark. Agent Hill."_

"I'm no longer an agent," Maria immediately deadpans.

Skye's smile falters and Tony narrows his eyes on her. "Coulson's little minion, tell me, to what does my favorite little vampire owe the pleasure of your video call?"

"_I, uh, we're in a bit of trouble."_

"You don't say," Tony drawls.

"_Yes, well, as you can see.. we don't know who to trust. A.C and team- we've been continuing SHIELD from the shadows and hunting down HYDRA. Only, hardly anyone believes that we're the good guys and General Talbot has eyes out everywhere for us," _Skye babbles_. "We need a place to lie low and well, you're the only person I could think of that has room and are the good guys."_

"So Coulson doesn't know you're asking of this favor?" Maria wonders.

"_No, he does." _Skye assures them. _"He and May just didn't know if it was a good idea."_

"I don't know," Tony dramatically sighs. "HYDRA fooled a lot of people and I'm not sure whether or not I'm comfortable with letting in people who I'm not sure about. I mean, Coulson's SHIELD for sure. There's no way a HYDRA agent is that big of a Captain America fanboy. But the rest of you? We don't know you."

Scoffing, Skye shakes her head. _"Do you honestly think we're HYDRA, Mr. Stark? I mean, we're asking for sanctuary. If we were HYDRA, do you really think we'd risk entering a space where a vampire lives that can compel any and all answers from us?" _Tony straightens up and Skye chuckles. _"Yeah, we remembered Caroline's neat little trick."_

"Well then if you know of her trick, you also know of vervain and that it can exempt you from compulsion."

"Tony," Caroline hisses, elbowing him in the ribs. "Stop being a butt. If Fury and Maria trust this team, they must be SHIELD through and through."

"I still don't trust them," he pouts.

Silence befalls the group; Maria studying Skye on the screen, Tony and Caroline glaring at one another as they have a silent conversation with just their eyes and eyebrows, and Bruce and Pepper slowly eat the rest of their food as they listen to what's going on.

"_Um, if it helps any," _Skye calls the attention back to her. _"We used the last of our vervain the day SHIELD fell. It should be out of our systems by now, right? The compulsion will work."_

"Yes! Yes, it will work," Caroline answers with a smile before Tony can prolong the conversation any longer. "Where are you at right now? When are you coming?"

"Hold it," Tony exclaims. "It's my tower and I get the deciding vote."

"Do you?" Pepper drawls.

Tony's eyes slightly widen, and both Maria and Caroline snicker. Grumbling, Tony averts his gaze back to a waiting Skye. "Fine. Your team will be granted sanctuary _after_ each and every one of you offer up a blood sample so we can make sure the vervain is out, and then every one of you has to answer one question under compulsion. Are we clear?"

"_Crystal."_

"Great," Caroline sighs in relief, smiling as she pushes Tony away from her. "So how exactly are you getting here? I'm pretty sure that General guy that's searching for you has eyes out for that big plane of yours."

"_The Bus is currently in hiding," _the brunette frowns. _"Fitz was looking to replicate the invisibility cloaking device that the Helicarriers used but he hasn't had any success."_

"I can help!" Tony then yells as he resettles on his stool, playing it a cool a second later. "It is my technology, after all. If the little genius passes Caroline's tests, he can use one of my labs."

"_O-okay," _Skye stammers. _"I'm sure Fitz would love that and we'd all really appreciate it. But, um, yeah.. we'll be driving there. Ward found us a vehicle that shouldn't be missed so are there underground basements we can get in through? I've been watching the news and the front entrance is swamped with cameras."_

"Duh," Caroline scoffs. "It's Tony's tower. Of course there's an underground entrance. I'll just pass you over to him so he can tell you how to get in. I'll be meeting you all down there."

With a roll of his eyes, Tony accepts Caroline's phone and tells Skye all about the entrance that they're going to have to take if they wish to remain unnoticed, and Caroline goes about finishing her food before preparing for the newest additions to the tower.

* * *

A few hours later, Caroline finds herself pacing the underground parking lot of Stark Tower. Since Coulson and his team were still a ways out, it gave Pepper just enough time to secure an entire floor of apartments for them as well as some spare clothing since no one knew their situation. Bruce had prepared a spare lab with enough needles and vials to take the team's blood- though he wasn't sure how Tony was going to check if vervain ran through their veins- and Tony went back to pulling files off the internet in hopes of getting Coulson's little hacker to help him crack some of the locked ones.

Skye had gotten in contact with JARVIS when they were near, and Caroline took it upon herself to greet them alone.

A rusted and beat up, two colored van pulls into the parking lot moments later, the driver looking a bit too suspicious in a gray cap, black sunglasses, and a dark scruffy beard. It takes Caroline another few moments to recognize Grant Ward beneath the facial hair and Jemma Simmons in the passenger seat with short choppy hair cut above her shoulders instead of her long locks.

The back door slides open, and Phil Coulson and Melinda May exit with wary gazes. Skye and the curly-haired genius Fitz exit last, every single person of the group shouldering a duffel bag and looking like they haven't had a decent night's sleep in a while.

Jemma and Skye are the only two to smile when Caroline had greeted them, the blonde then ushering them into the elevator so they could get answers right away as to the group's loyalties. Fitz and Jemma seem to perk up with they spot Tony and Bruce, and no one even bats an eye when Bruce asks them to line up so they could get started. And once all the vials are filled with blood samples, Bruce turns to Tony to see how they're going to determine whether or not anyone's on vervain.

But instead of having some scientific method to determine if the blood's tainted, Tony merely tossed a vial to Caroline._ "Drink up,"_ he'd said, and then smirked at all the uncomfortable expressions he found looking between him and Caroline. _"If you choke, they're tainted. If not, well then you can get to compelling portion of our test."_

Caroline had rolled her eyes but complied, she drinking the blood like one would water. She ignores all the stares, not one vial containing vervain in it's contents, but she does notice that Skye's blood has an odd _zing _to it. But not feeling in the mood to question it, she lets it slide and smiles at everyone.

Not so surprisingly, everyone's SHIELD and when it's confirmed they're all safe, Pepper wasted no time in making her way to the labs to then escort them to their private floor to get some rest.

**XxX**

Another couple hours later after getting some rest and a decent shower, Phil Coulson finds Tony, Caroline, and Pepper in the Common's kitchen- the three of them arguing over what to order in for dinner for everyone.

"I'm pretty sure they'll eat anything as long as it's not frozen or a sandwich," he informs them.

Pepper smiles when she catches sight of him, walking around the bar to greet him with a hug and a kiss to the cheek. "Phil! You look well rested."

"Yes, well, it's nice to have some down time without looking over our shoulders."

The strawberry blonde nods along in understanding, she then looping an arm with his to steer him towards the bar. "Agent," Tony sniffs when close enough.

"Sir," Caroline greets.

Phil smiles at the both of them but is kept from replying when Tony whirls on the young blonde. "Oh, Coulson's _Sir _but Fury's _Nick__?! _You're twisted, Forbes."

"Eh, Nicholas loves me. That man's all bark and no bite."

Tony practically lights up with glee but before he can retort, it's Phil's turn to interrupt. "Loves?"

"Hmm?" Caroline gives the man her attention.

"You said _loves,_" Phil frowns. "Present tense, not past."

Caroline still doesn't realize her mistake but Tony does, he scoffing a second later as he pours himself yet another drink. "We know all about Nick, agent. Have known since Little Bit came back to work. She and Maria don't exactly keep secrets from their boss."

Coulson sighs because Fury said to not let anyone know but what's done is done. So shoulders slumping in defeat, he takes a seat on a stool. "So you know that I'm the new Director, then?"

"Yep."

"Afraid so," Pepper sheepishly smiles.

"Who all knows about Fury?"

"Us, here, in the room," Caroline says. "Then there's Maria, Steve, Natasha, Sam, and Bruce. We're planning to tell Clint when he pops back up."

"So they're safe then?" Coulson seems to perk up. "Agents Romanoff and Barton, I mean."

"Yes," Caroline assures him. "When everything started happening, I had a friend on the Helicarrier that Clint helped get away from the mess. Bonnie's a witch so Clint's living kind of cozy with her right now while keeping his head down."

"And Natasha?"

Tony snorts, drawing Coulson's attention to him. "Who do you think dumped all of SHIELD's and HYDRA's files on the internet? Red, Little Bit," he gestures to Caroline. "-Cap, Hill, and Wilson are responsible for bringing down the agencies."

"Is that so?"

Caroline nervously laughs while nodding. "'fraid so. Captain's orders."

"Speaking of," Coulson then changes the subject. "Where is Captain Rogers?"

Tony's ever present smirk falters and Pepper suddenly finds herself interested in her glass of champagne. And glaring at her friends, Caroline nibbles on her bottom lip before coming clean about what no one else knew except for a few people. "Well, uh, you see, Sir.. the man they called the Winter Soldier, the man HYDRA called their greatest weapon.. it's Bucky Barnes."

Eyes widening and mouth dropping open agape, Caroline immediately nods to whatever Coulson says next. "Howling Commando Bucky Barnes?"

"He doesn't- he doesn't remember who he is though. He didn't remember Steve when Steve confronted him but he was starting to remember when the Helicarriers were falling. Hence the reason for Steve following every trail he can find to bring his best friend back."

Phil's eyes close, his hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "So Natasha went as backup?"

"No, Wilson did," Tony flippantly waves it off. "Your little spy blew all her covers. She's traveling with yet another friendly vampire- Stefan, to be exact- while she comes up with new identities for herself."

Coulson sighs before lowering his hand and straightening up. "This- I did not expect any of this."

"Yeah, well, that's how we first felt," Caroline shrugs. "It'd be really excellent if you keep it on the down low. I mean, it's okay for the team to know but no one is to lay a hand on Barnes when he's brought in. _If _he's brought in."

"No, I know," Coulson assures her. "But if we're still here when Barnes does show up, I won't keep my team from protecting themselves if it comes down to it."

"Pft. Do you really think I'd leave any of us vulnerable? No." Tony huffs. "We'll have security measures in place as well as a super soldier and vampire," he gestures again to Caroline. "-keeping us safe."

"That sounds reasonable." Coulson says as he stands to his feet. "I should- I should get back. My team needs to know what's going and I think I need a nap."

"Good call," Caroline's lips twitch in amusement. "Dinner's at seven. We'll be having Chinese."

Tony groans but Pepper concedes, the two women easily ignoring Tony's complaints as they plan what to order.

* * *

Since the following day is the weekend, and since no one was really following dress code except for Pepper and Maria, Caroline doesn't feel an ounce of guilt sauntering into the Common's kitchen in nothing but a pair of jean shorts, a black mesh singlet, and a pair of converse on her feet.

Surprisingly, no one's in the kitchen and Caroline wastes no time in preparing herself a quick snack. She pulls the necessary items from the refrigerator- a pack of blueberry bagels and a container of strawberry cream cheese- laying it out on the counter before collecting a serrated knife from a nearby drawer. Then pulling out one bagel from the package, she cuts it in half and slips both halves into toaster. And while those heat up, she replaces the rest of the bagels in the refrigerator and places the serrated knife in the sink.

As the bagels pop up, Caroline realizes she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings when her hearing picks up a slightly erratic heartbeat and Skye appears around the corner, a hesitant smile stretching her lips.

"Hey, want a half a bagel," the blonde immediately asks, ignoring Skye's nervousness as she starts spreading the cream cheese on one. "It's strawberry cream cheese," she singsongs.

Skye's smile turns more genuine at Caroline's welcoming tone, and the brunette nods. "Sure."

"Excellent. Take a seat," she then gestures towards the stool that are on the opposite side of the counter/bar. Caroline spreads some cream cheese on the second half, plating the warm snack on a napkin before leaning forward and handing it to Skye. "Care to tell me what has you nervous now? Your heartbeat's a little erratic."

Skye freezes with the bagel halfway to her mouth, her eyes widening and heartbeat picking up speed. "I- I'm not-"

"Skye," Caroline challenges with a raised eyebrow, the corner of her lips lifting into a smirk. "It's me. You can talk to me."

Skye gapes for a few seconds before shoving the bagel into her mouth and taking a ginormous bite, Caroline merely leaning her elbows on the counter and waiting for her answer. So with a roll of her eyes, Skye furiously chews what's in her mouth and swallows. "Okay.. okay," she gulps. "So, you and I- we're friends, right?"

"Right."

"So you won't, you know, take a bite out of your friends?"

Caroline snorts at the sudden question, though her amusement fades when she realizes Skye won't meet her gaze. "You're serious."

"Yep," the brunette nervously answers. "It's just- I pulled the security footage from the Triskelion when Stark told us you were there. You, my friend," and now she finally meets Caroline's gaze. "-are one terrifying woman."

Instead of being offended, Caroline snorts yet again before laughing because she gets it. Vampires _are _scary and not to be taken lightly. And since Skye doesn't know much about them, she was in her right to feel nervous around Caroline especially if she saw the footage of her taking a chunk out of Rumlow's neck.

Grin slowly fading, it's Caroline's turn for her eyes to widen slightly. "The footage! Please, tell me you deleted it?!"

"It no longer exists," Skye confirms. "Except on Stark's servers. We watched the fall of HYDRA and SHIELD from inside the Triskelion, and Tony told us how you went toe to toe with the Winter Soldier. And speaking of," Skye pauses to take another bite of bagel. "-I'm here to retrieve you. A.C wants to talk about the Winter Soldier and what to expect from the man if we ever come across him."

Caroline wrinkles her nose as Skye speaks with her mouth full, she then lifting her own bagel to her mouth and taking a delicate bite. "Let's go then," she says after swallowing. "Hopefully after your boss hears what he wants to hear, you and me can go do a little shopping. You're in major need of some girl time."

The brunette chuckles, not bothering to deny that she could use some normalcy, and gathers the remainder of her bagel and bottle of juice before following the blonde towards the elevator.

* * *

**Ah, I apologize for this chapter being so.. blegh. I'm terribly sick and my editing skills are not being patient right about now. I promise, though, that things will be better with the next chapter. Because in the next chapter, we get phone calls from Mystic Falls and New Orleans ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Quick note! For those who didn't read "Their Last Resort", Ward IS A GOOD GUY! :) No Hydra!Ward in here. That betrayal was enough.. no need to put ourselves through that again, haha.**

* * *

When Caroline had told Director Coulson and his team just how unbelievably strong the Winter Soldier was, Skye and Tony immersed themselves into any and all files they could find on him to see just what it was that Sergeant Barnes had been put through. Hardly anyone had wanted to leave the lab as they watched both Tony and Skye's combined effort to break into files; Caroline only leaving when sustenance was needed. But the second the files were cracked open, no one could help how they felt as they poured over file after file.

Of course, Caroline knew they had to have done something to make Bucky forget Steve and the country he once fought for, but she didn't expect the constant mind wipes and constantly being put on ice after every mission _the asset _completed which is what kept him so young after all these years. That, plus the knock-off version of a super soldier serum that was running through his veins.

Tony, Coulson, Pepper, May, and Maria had been absolutely outraged to read up on the treatment of Barnes- Tony even more so when he realized they used the Winter Soldier to take out Howard and Maria, and then make his parent's "car accident" look like an actual accident. Caroline and Pepper had been scared when Tony then went on a two day drinking binge- both ladies thinking he'd be pissed at Bucky, but surprisingly, he wasn't. If anything, he was livid at HYDRA and couldn't wait until Steve returned so they could hunt down the bastards that have ruined their lives. But until then, the HYDRA goons in containment would do nicely. And since agent May was pretty wound up herself, Tony invited her to tag along and interrogate to her heart's every desire.

Eventually, the two teams burned themselves out and once again, Pepper was thanking her lucky stars for Caroline Forbes. Even though she was one of the exhausted, the blonde vampire seemed to find energy when no one else could and _made _them rest. And the following day, she demanded that everyone show up on the Common's floor for at least half a day of relaxation.

* * *

Caroline's halfway through the first episode of _Married at First Sight _when the elevator dings, alerting her to someone stopping by, and dropping off Grant Ward and Skye.

With her legs tucked beneath her and a bowl of popcorn balanced on the arm rest of the sofa she had tucked herself into the corner of, Caroline slowly beams at the two approaching agents when Skye hesitantly takes Ward's hand in her own. "So you finally sealed the deal, huh? Nice." She pops a piece of popcorn in her mouth, chewing all the while the smile never leaves her face and completely misses the way Ward tenses. "And look at you, Grant. I knew the handsome man I once met was underneath all that hair somewhere. It's about time you shaved."

"Yeah, well," the man in question gulps. "I finally found the time to do so. We've been.. busy."

"I'll bet," Caroline waggles her eyebrows. Ward tenses again but this time, Caroline can see and almost _feel _the tension wafting off of him.

When Skye notices that Caroline notices, she chuckles nervously while pulling Ward along with her behind the sofa to sit on the opposite end. "Yeah, about that," she trails off just long enough to push Ward into the corner of the sofa and take the spot next to him. "Ward's.. private. He doesn't really want-"

"I get it," Caroline cuts off the brunette. And then meeting Ward's gaze, she smiles reassuringly. "Steve was that way, too. Still is, actually. Only the Avengers, Pepper, Stefan, Maria, Sam, and now the both of you," she gestures between him and Skye. "-know that Steve and I live together here at the tower. You won't hear another peep out of me about your relationship if it makes you uncomfortable."

Ward seems to deflate in relief, an easy grin tilting the corner of lips upward. And just as he's getting comfortable, Skye's asking about what it is they're watching and Caroline explains that Married at First Sight is a social experiment- strangers marrying strangers because they couldn't find love on their own so they relied on specialists to pair them up. Ward didn't think he'd be into such a show but after the first bride realizes what a mistake she's made once she finally meets her groom, he can't help but ask for some popcorn and sink further into his seat to watch it all play out.

**XxX**

Pepper and Bruce show up towards the end of the first episode, the both of them claiming the two single sofa chairs while Jemma, Fitz, and Tony show up halfway through the second episode and make themselves comfortable on the carpeted floor. Agent May, Couslon, and Maria show up minutes later prompting Caroline, Skye, and Ward to happily take to the floor as well so the elders could sit comfortably on the sofa. And while Caroline expected the show to not be for everyone, she hadn't expected for agents Ward and May to be scarily accurate on who it was that were compatible.

They order up hot and cold sub sandwiches for a late lunch, settle in for some more relaxation, and Caroline has all calls to their phones screened by JARVIS so they're not bothered. So a good hour and half later when Caroline's phone blares to life signaling someone calling her, everyone tenses because they know they're about to get back to work.

Groaning, the blonde retrieves her phone from her back pocket and when she sees who it is that's calling, she immediately puts it on speaker because everyone in the room probably needed to hear what was going on. "Barton," she greets. "-this better be good. You're interrupting our relaxation time."

"_Yeah, yeah. Get off your ass, Forbes. Your backup plan worked. We caught some folks on the run."_

The TV immediately gets muted since they all knew of Caroline's plan for the vampires, witches, and wolves to catch all agents on the run, and everyone leans forward as if they were trying to get closer to the phone. "Agent Barton, this is Director Coulson speaking. Who exactly did you catch? Are they SHIELD or HYDRA?"

There's a moment of silence and then, _"Director Coulson? When did that happen? I was under the impression SHIELD no longer existed."_

"It's fine Little Hawk," Tony drawls. "All will be explained once you get back to the tower. But until you get back, just know that Coulson and his team mean good. They're just lying low for the time being."

Another moment of silence passes and then there's a sigh on the other end of the line. _"Damon and Elena ran into an Agent Isabelle Hartley. She's SHIELD through and through but she's running with two mercenaries by the name of Idaho and Lance Hunter."_

"Agent Hartley," Coulson mumbles. "Yes, I remember her. She was a good agent."

"_Yeah, well, they're resting pretty comfortable at the Salvatore Boarding House now. We're just waiting for phase two of the plan."_

"Well, unfortunately, the government has possession of all quinjets and the BUS is in hiding since it has no cloaking device," Coulson informs him.

"But luckily for us," Tony pipes up. "-I got a private jet. Shouldn't be too hard to send a team in for a discrete extraction once the sun goes down."

"_Sounds good. Give me twenty to get with the others to see where the best location for the meet-up would be."_

"Yeah, sure. Just call me back with the details," Caroline says.

"_Alright. *Woof!*"_

Caroline blinks at the sound after Clint's voice, staring at the time ticking away on her phone as she realizes what she's just heard. And narrowing her eyes, she brings the phone closer to her mouth. "Barton."

"_..Forbes?"_

"Was that a dog?"

"_No! *Woof!*" _

"Clinton Francis Barton!" Caroline yells, ignoring the suddenly amused expressions all around her. "What did I tell you about dogs in our house?!"

"_Dammit, Bennett!" _He groans. _"All you had to do was keep Jax outside until the phone call was over."_

"_It's hot out," _Bonnie's voice suddenly crackles over the speaker. _"Maybe you should have gone outside for the phone call, and let me and Jax stay in the cool air."_

"Barton! Bonnie!" Neither of the guilty answer right away and Caroline's phone beeps in hand, alerting her to yet another phone call. And when she sees Elijah's name lighting up her screen, she sighs. "We'll talk about Jax later, you guys. I got another phone call. Figure out a plan, Barton, and call me back."

"_On it, Forbes. See you later."_

With a roll of her eyes, Caroline ends the phone call with Clint and answers Elijah's call. "Mr. Mikaelson, to what do I owe the pleasure of you gracing me with a call?"

"_Miss Forbes," _Elijah's posh voice floats through the speaker. _"I wish I could say it was just to hear your lovely voice-"_

"Charming.."

"_But, it's business as usual, I'm afraid."_

"I figured as much," she chuckles. "What do you have, Elijah? SHIELD or HYDRA?"

"_Well, we had both but when HYDRA saw what they were up against, they killed themselves before they could be compelled."_

"Cowards," Tony mutters.

"_We also have a few SHIELD agents as well. When we let them in on why they were being kept comfortable, one brave agent stepped forward and has actually been a help around the Quarter. I'm afraid Nik wishes to keep him."_

Immediately, Coulson leans forward and Caroline snorts at the worry she sees in his eyes. "Mr. Mikaelson, this is Director Coulson of SHIELD- the new SHIELD," he clarifies. "-and I'm afraid that I can't let you.. keep anyone."

"He knows, Coulson," the blonde vampire assures him before Elijah can reply. "He's just being.. funny."

"_Yes," _Elijah drawls._ "Funny_." Again, Caroline snorts but this time she's joined by Tony and May._ "As I was saying, Agent Triplett's been a great help keeping the others calm." _

"A-Agent Triplett?" Jemma's eyes widen. "You've found him?"

"You know him?" Caroline asks.

"Y-yes," the dainty scientist's gaze darts to Ward who seems a bit too tense once more. "He's a friend. He went missing after.. after his mentor turned out to be HYDRA. He didn't take it too well."

The entire room falls into an awkward silence, Ward refuses to meet anyone's gaze, and it takes everything in Skye to hold back and not comfort her boyfriend in front of her team. Caroline looks to Skye since it was mostly her team that were the one's trying to be discrete in staring at Ward, and when Skye catches Caroline's gaze, the agent discreetly mutters beneath her breath that Ward and Triplett had shared the same mentor. Understanding dawns on Caroline and she suddenly feels a wave of sympathy for the male agent. It would have sucked to find out that your mentor was the bad guy all along.

"Mr. Mikaelson," Coulson suddenly clears his throat. "-we have an extraction point being set up in Mystic Falls for tonight with the Salvatore brothers and Miss Bennett. Is there any way you can get the SHIELD agents there or are we to have to set up another extraction point?"

"_I believe my brother and I can get the agents to Mystic Falls, Director Coulson. It shouldn't be a problem."_

"Excellent. If you can move the agents as soon as possible, it'd be greatly appreciated."

"_Of course. We'll leave agent Triplett with a phone to contact Miss Caroline when they're nearing Mystic Falls. Until then.."_

The phone call ends and Caroline pockets it, sighing aloud before falling back into a laying position on the floor with her hands beneath her head. "So.. what team are we putting together? Who gets to go?"

"May can pilot pretty much any aircraft," Coulson says. "-so I think it's a given she go so Mr. Stark doesn't have to call in one of his pilots. I'll also want someone on board who has training in medical so the agents can be looked over, just in case," he adds. "-so Banner or Simmons will do nicely."

"I'd actually like to sit this out," Bruce supplies sheepishly. "No offense to your team but I don't know them and I doubt any of them would be comfortable with the Other Guy on board."

"That's fine," Coulson then assures him. "Simmons, you're up then."

"Understood, Sir."

"I'd like to tag along," Ward pipes up, drawing the attention to himself. "I could use a day out of the tower."

"Same," Skye volunteers. "The tower's great but being cooped up is not."

Coulson nods in agreement. "Anyone else? Miss Forbes?"

"Huh? No.. no," she declines politely. "I'll be staying back."

"So then it's myself, Coulson, Jemma, Skye, and Ward," May says when no one else volunteers. "It's not really a mission but still, suit up."

No one wastes another second and all those that May mentioned are quick to climb to their feet, heading for the elevator to go prepare.

* * *

At the three month mark, Steve Rogers returns to Stark Tower empty handed. And since Director Coulson and his small team are still at the tower- all of the agents they extracted from Mystic Falls having been sent back to a place Skye referred to as the Playground- they're all present for Steve and Caroline's reunion.

Steve had been tired- worn out and stressed since there was no lead on his once best friend- but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to see his girlfriend after so long. Texting and phone calls could only do so much and right now, he just wants to wrap Caroline up in a hug and hide his face in the side of her neck. So after JARVIS explains that Caroline is on the Common's floor with a few guests- the AI takes Steve first to his personal floor to drop off his bags and shield, the elevator then taking him to the floor Caroline's on.

The elevator doors ding open on the Common's floor and Steve's only four steps in before a solid weight is crashing into him. His mind registered the blur a second too late, so he stumbles backwards a bit since he wasn't prepared but laughs none the less as Caroline clings to him.

"You're home, you're home, you're home," she squeals. Legs wrapped tightly around Steve's waist and arms tight around his neck, it's Caroline who ends up shoving her face into the side of his neck.

Steve laughs happily, his arms wrapping securely around her back for a moment before his hands move to grip the back of her thighs. Though before he can say anything in return, agents Coulson, May, and Skye round the corner with their weapons all trained in their direction.

"Jesus, Caroline," Skye groans and lowers her weapon first. "You can't just cut off mid-sentence and disappear within the blink of an eye. Especially around agents! We can be trigger happy, you know."

Coulson and May put away their own weapons when they realize there's no danger, May actually looking a bit amused at the blonde clinging to Steve and Coulson- dare anyone think it- looks _scandalized? _Tony appears next with a tumbler of some type of dark alcohol in hand and taking one look at Coulson's expression, the dark haired male can't help but smirk. "Might wanna hop on down, Little Bit. I think Coulson just figured out you've been defiling his childhood hero."

May's lips twitch and Skye has to bite her bottom lip to keep her smile from blossoming in Coulson's presence, and seconds later, Caroline's legs are falling from Steve's waist with a gasp. She whirls around, blonde waves flying and eyes wide when she's facing the group.

There's a moment of awkward silence even as Skye shakes with suppressed laughter and Caroline fidgets from foot to foot before smilingly sheepishly. "So, yeah," she chuckles. "-Steve and I are a thing, have been for a while, and now you know!" Her smile shows every ounce of nervousness that she feels, and Skye, Tony, and May quickly grow bored with the news. Coulson still looks every bit of disappointed- though it's mostly pointed at Caroline and the blonde in question groans before narrowing her eyes, her hands planting themselves on her hips. "Oh, don't pretend like you wouldn't climb him like a tree if you were in my shoes."

Tony spits out what sip of alcohol he managed to pour into his mouth, spinning on his heels to re-enter the kitchen portion of the floor with Skye on his heels because she couldn't quite keep in her own laughter this time. Coulson actually blushes and May chuckles as she shakes her head in amusement.

Steve's blushing, too, but since Caroline is turned away from him, she doesn't see it. "Right, well," he awkwardly clears his throat. "It's been a long three months and I really just wanted to see my girl before sleeping for a few days. It's nice to see that you and your team are well, Sir."

"Y-you, too, Captain," Coulson's gaze snaps to Steve's. "And I'd just like to say that if you need help with anything at all for locating Sergeant Barnes, my team would be happy to help."

"Thank you, Sir," Steve smiles appreciatively. "I think I'll cash in on that but for now, I really just need a good couple of days rest. I'm exhausted."

"Of course."

Caroline doesn't hesitate to take Steve's hand in her own, smiling as she reaches back and presses the button for the elevator. "Tell Tony we'll continue our discussion on whether or not making two dozen Iron Man drones is a good idea. We've been at this for a few hours and I deserve a nap."

The doors ding open and the blonde vampire practically shoves Steve into the elevator without even waiting for an answer. And instead of jumping him once more, she grabs up his right hand in both her own while giggling and smiling and dancing in place. She winks at Melinda May- the stoic agent who rarely shows any form of emotion- and is surprised when she earns a grin in return.

As the doors shut to seclude them from curious gazes, Caroline drops Steve's hand only to reach up and grip the back of his neck to bring him down for a kiss. Steve smiles into it, letting his mouth lazily familiarize itself with that of his girlfriend's as her other hand comes up to caress his cheek before sliding into the hair at the back of his head. "I really.. really didn't.. plan for this.. sort of reunion," he mutters in between kisses.

"Neither.. did I. Enjoy it."

Steve laughs as his hands grip her waist, the elevator doors opening a minute later and causing them to separate just far enough so their foreheads touch. "As much as I'm all for this reunion, I really just want to cuddle up with you. I'm too tired for anything else. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Caroline assures him, eyes still closed and basking in the closeness. "It's totally understandable and while I'm game for any type of reunion," she then smirks deviously, eyes opening. "-even super soldiers need their rest. So we're going to lock ourselves in our home, you're going to shower and then dress in nothing but your sleep pants, and then join me in the bedroom. No funny business, I promise."

Steve groans with a deep chuckle, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. "You're going to be the death of me one of these days."

"You know it." Caroline's hands fall down to her sides but not before trailing over Steve's shoulders and down his chest, and abs. "Now come on, relaxation awaits." Lazily grinning, Steve turns to walk off the elevator and Caroline doesn't waste her chance to smack his ass. He jolts at the contact, grinning even wider as Caroline's laugh travels from behind him to beside him to in front of him and down the hall all within one second. When he finally spots her, she's standing down at the end of the corridor in front of their apartment door, beaming at him with sparkling eyes. "Welcome home, Soldier."

**XxX**

As told, Steve takes a shower once in the comfort of their shared place. He doesn't take more than fifteen minutes though the warm water and pressure was telling him otherwise, and meets Caroline who had changed into her own sleep tank and shorts in the middle of their bed. "Alright, on you stomach," she says, maneuvering to her knees and producing a small bottle of lotion from behind her back after he done crawled up to her.

Pausing for a moment, Steve chuckles but obliges without a word. With his cotton pants slung low on on his hips, Caroline has no shame as she watches muscles ripple as her boyfriend takes his time laying on his stomach. He folds his arms and cushions his head there, grinning and watching as Caroline ogles his back muscles and the dimples at his lower back that he knows are her weakness.

"Goddammit," he hears her softly curse, his body trembling with quiet laughter. And then a moment later, she's moving to straddle him and using his butt as her chair. He hears the click of the lid open and then, "This might be cold but it'll warm up soon enough."

He quickly braces himself for the inevitable cold, his back twitching as Caroline's lotioned up hands land on his shoulder blades. She allows herself to giggle at his twitchiness, and then focuses on putting enough strength to work out all the tension from Steve's shoulders and back. Moving lower, her hands brush along his dimples with just enough pressure before she runs her thumbs up from the bottom of his spine to the base of his neck.

"Don't stop," Steve groans, shifting as her hands move to knead out the knots from his shoulders. "Feels so good."

Caroline smirks rather smugly, kneading Steve's back with her hands for a few more minutes before pausing to add a bit more lotion to Steve's back. She repeats the process all over again, she herself having to shift when Steve's groans get a little too appreciative and warmth starts pooling where it shouldn't be since Steve just wanted sleep.

But one second Steve's being the good little soldier and allowing Caroline to work her massaging magic, and the next he's twisting and gripping Caroline's hips only to bring her back down on a very noticeable bulge that has him sucking in a deep breath when she brushes along it. "Just wanted to cuddle, huh?" She teases with a slow knowing grin, rocking her hips just the slightest before planting her hands on well defined pecs. "I promised no funny business."

"Yeah? Well, I didn't."

Steve surges up, claiming Caroline's mouth in a harsh kiss. His hands grip her hips tighter against him and her hands immediately slide up along his pecs, his shoulders, and to the side of his neck where her fingernails dig into the back of his neck to keep him in place. Mouths open and tongues slide against one another, and Steve's grip loosens so his thumbs can brush along her flesh beneath the hem of her tank top.

Oxygen is needed fairly quickly so as the two break apart and pant harshly in each other's faces with lust filled eyes, Steve manages to say, "You're wearing too much clothing."

Caroline can only hum and nod in agreement, her mind too addled with what's about to happen. But the second her body jerks and cool air suddenly hits her bra-clad breasts, the haze clears from her mind and she huffs while lightly punching Steve in the shoulder. "Seriously?! Did you have to rip my top?"

"Yes," he laughs, his hands brushing aside the torn fabric and finding their way to her bare ribs. As always, his thumbs brush the skin just beneath her breasts as if awaiting permission and he lets his gaze travel over every inch of bare skin. "Christ. I'll never get tired of looking at you."

Caroline sags in Steve's lap, chuckling softly as she lets one hand slide from the back of his neck to cup his jaw in hand. "You really are too sweet for your own good, handsome. Now lets get to the very good part before your brain reminds you that you're sleepy."

"Doll, with you in my lap and a torn apart shirt, I doubt my mind will be able to function properly any time soon."

"Good." Caroline then forcefully changes their positions so that Steve's above her and she's cradling his hips between her thighs, a devious grin tilting the corner of her lips as Steve's hands fall to the bed on either side of her head to hold himself up. "'Cause it'd be a real shame to stop now."

Steve groans when her legs wrap around his waist, Caroline pulling her own hips up to meet his and rocks against him. "Nope. Not stopping," he pants. "Never stopping."

The vampire's answering giggle is cut short when Steve drops his weight to claim her mouth once more, he showing his girlfriend just how much he loves her over and over.. and over again.

* * *

The following morning, the couple manage to sneak out of the Tower without being caught. Given the past few months that he's had, Steve just wants some time alone with Caroline before he's off chasing whatever lead JARVIS or Tony or Skye can find him about Bucky. So after letting Caroline get dressed in one of her adorable pale yellow dresses and a white cropped cardigan, Steve's quick to whisk her away with an already made thermos of warm blood.

They walk all around New York- walking until their feet tire- and only stop to take a break when their stomachs grumble. And then afterward, they walk some more.

Their time alone is like a breath of fresh air, especially since the weather out is nice and comfortable. With an arm draped around Caroline's shoulders, and an arm slung around Steve's waist, the couple walk and laugh without a care in the world. Of course, there are more than a handful of instances in which Caroline hears hushed conversations of strangers recognizing Steve but surprisingly, the only brave souls to wander up to them to ask for an autograph are children. And well, Caroline finds it all too adorable to be upset with their time being interrupted by the tiny beaming faces.

"So tell me again what agent Coulson and his team are doing here?"

Caroline groans, laughing and shaking her head in amusement as they walk through a park. Only Steve would be too stubborn to let this go. "It's _Director _Coulson, Steve. How many times am I going to have to tell you that Nicholas passed on the job title and the tools so they can rebuild SHIELD," she then says in a hushed mutter. "These are the good guys. We've got nothing to be worried about."

"You say that now," he frowns. "But- it's just- I don't know," he sighs. "It just feels like we fought for nothing. We were supposed to end SHIELD, not end it only for it to be rebuilt."

"Yeah, well, it's the world we live in now," she shrugs. "We need some sort of government other than the one we already have to deal with the weird and unusual. I'm just glad that the people in charge are those we know and trust."

"Yeah. I guess." The duo lapse into a comfortable silence, stopping for some ice cream as Steve snaps a few pictures with a few brave souls who recognize him. As the two set out to continue walking, he can't help but ask, "What are they still doing at the Tower, by the way? If they're rebuilding, surely they have a base set up somewhere."

"Coulson just feels guilty," Caroline laughs. "When they were in dire need of a place to hide out, Jemma and Fitz became quite attached to Stark's labs. Jemma worked alongside Bruce and Fitz worked with Tony on a cloaking device for the Bus, and after seeing the wonder twins as happy as they were, Coulson couldn't bear to take them away. That's why they're spotted at the Tower more often than not."

"I see."

"_Caroline."_

The blonde falters in her steps, Steve not paying attention to her as he finishes of his snack. Gaze darting to and fro as the bridge between her brow pulls together in confusion, Caroline frowns. Did someone just call her name?

"_Long time no see, gorgeous."_

The accented voice is oddly familiar. "Klaus?"

"Excuse me?" Caroline's gaze snaps up to Steve- Steve who has just come to an abrupt stop at her side and looking at her rather curiously. "Did you just say Klaus?"

"Uh, y-yes," she stammers, her gaze then darting all around them again as she tucks her hair behind her left ear. "Someone's- there's someone talking to me."

"R-right now?" Steve moves so he's standing directly in front of Caroline, looking over her head for anyone behind her standing around and just looking plain suspicious. "Where?"

"I'm not sure. I can't-"

"_Not Klaus, blondie. I'm even more handsome than that bloke."_

Caroline rolls her eyes at the egotistical voice, the name of the only other accented person floating to the forefront of her mind. "Enzo."

She feels rather than hears when he appears just a few feet away from them, her head whipping to the right only to find the dark haired man in question standing there in a black leather jacket and his hands tucked into the front pockets of his jeans. "Hello, love."

And instead of being on edge or annoyed by this newcomer as Steve suddenly feels, Caroline lets her mouth curve into a slow grin. "And just where have you been hiding?" She wonders, her arms crossing over her chest. "Funny how you show up after we've done saved the world."

"Had places to be.. people to eat. I've been very busy."

"I'm sure you have."

Enzo smirks, huffing a small laugh that has Steve clenching his jaw in annoyance. He really doesn't like the way this guy is staring at his girlfriend. "Enzo, was it?" Steve practically glares as he repositions himself to be at Caroline's side, his own arms crossing themselves over his chest. "I don't think I've heard of you before."

"Sure you have," Caroline tells him, eying his bulging muscles for a brief moment. "This is Damon's bestie from way back then. The one Damon let burn in a house while stuck in a cage."

"I don't recall," he deadpans as Enzo rolls his eyes at the memory. And then turning his gaze to meet Caroline's, he asks, "Is he one of the good ones or bad?"

"Uh, standing right here, mate. S'not polite to talk about the big bad vampire where he can hear you."

As Enzo's arms move to mimic Steve's stance, Caroline groans before stepping forward and placing herself between the two men only to slap a palm on each of their chests. "One," she addresses Enzo first. "-you're a puppy compared to the _original _big bads. And two," she then turns to Steve. "-Enzo flip flops. He's one that I wouldn't mind if you were to snap his neck."

"Hey!"

"Noted," Steve then grins as Enzo glowers.

"That hurt, sweetheart. I thought we were on better terms."

"Eh, we could have been if you were one of the good guys. I mean, Damon's not totally good but he doesn't turn his back when the world's going to shit."

"Right," Steve coughs, clearing his throat. "Well, as enlightening as this conversation has been, Caroline and I have places to be." As Steve readjusts his position so that his arm possessively sneaks around the back of Caroline's waist- something in which Enzo doesn't miss nor does Caroline- the blonde vampire allows herself a second to preen under her boyfriend's slight jealousy. "Ready to go, _doll?_" He then asks.

"Sure," she chuckles before letting herself catch Enzo's gaze. "Well, it was nice catching up with you. Next time you feel like doing a good thing, give us a call. We could use a few more good vampires on our side."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say, blondie. Until next time then."

Enzo smirks one last time, nodding in acknowledgment in Steve's direction as his stance relaxes and his hands find themselves tucked back in his pockets. As he starts walking away instead of using his vampire speed to suddenly disappear, he casually whistles and disappears in the crowd.

* * *

**Apologies for my awkward attempt at brief sexy times. Both Steve and Caroline deserve more than what I can write and yeah.. I wish I could write great sex scenes but sadly, I can't. And how did you like Enzo's surprise, yet very brief, visit? **

**Up next, we're back on track with Bucky ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

The Soldier- _or was he the Asset? Bucky, maybe?_\- walks down what he believes is the French Quarter in New Orleans. He's never been here before- not that he can recall, anyway- but the place seems to put him at ease. For being a city in modern times, a lot of the architecture seems to appear outdated yet beautiful all at the same time and he actually finds himself wanting to spend time in this city before moving on. So hair hanging down to his chin and scruff covering the bottom half of his face, _Bucky? _immerses himself into the crowd of rambunctious human beings while making sure not to touch any of them or they touch him.

For months now, the black baseball cap shoved atop his head and black cotton jacket has been the Asset's- _Bucky's!-_ only disguise. He kept the 'Winter Soldier' suit packed up with more than enough money to burn through and weapons to protect himself with- not counting the knives he had hidden in his boots and pockets- and looked for HYDRA bolt holes to finish off the people dedicated to the agency who made him what he is today before burning said bolt holes to the ground. Normally, the Soldier wouldn't care about such things but ever since the man on the bridge- _Steve, was it?- _unintentionally broke the Soldier's programming, he's been burning with uncontrolled rage to extract revenge. So that's what he did.

That, plus, he's been dodging every attempt at being recaptured by both HYDRA and the man from the bridge along with his dark skinned friend. Even as a small voice in the back of his mind tells him that the man from the bridge- _Steve, dammit!-_ can be trusted, the Soldier- _Bucky!- _is not ready. Not yet.

Shouts and joyous laughter startle the Soldier, his metal hand flying to the pocket of his jacket where he grips the hilt of a dagger in hand. Dull gray-blue eyes narrow at the group of young people to his right, and his metal arm whirs as plates shift beneath the sleeve of his jacket in preparation for a fight.

_Kids. Just kids, _his mind supplies. _Threat level less than three percent. _

Nearly everyone on the streets in staggering and stumbling about- music pumping through the air from various establishments and multi-colored lights flashing. People are dancing around with brightly colored boas, feathered masks, and just having a grand 'ol time laughing and drinking. So after a moment of scanning the streets and the people surrounding him, the Soldier- _Bucky!- _loosens up and lets his hand fall limp back at his side. Metal fingers clench into a fist as strangers brush up against him, but they pass him up without even a second glance.

When the fight drains from the Soldier, _Bucky'_s then quick to find a joint- Rousseau's- that's dimly lit and not as crowded as everywhere else to grab a bite to eat. Small two-seater tables litter the main floor, and tall wooden chairs line up at the bar. There's a small stage tucked away in the back right corner where a jukebox sits lit up and playing- _was that jazz?- _music for the patrons. He quickly finds the emergency exit and kitchen doors- cataloging those in case of a hasty exit- and seeing as the bar isn't as crowded as the main floor, Bucky decides to take a seat there. His forearms rest atop the bar top and hands clasp together in front of him but when light reflects off the metal of his hand that isn't covered by the sleeve of his jacket, Bucky's quick to place his left hand down in his lap and out of view.

A friendly blonde approaches him from the other side of the bar and introduces herself as Camille, she smiling politely as she asks what it is he'll have. Bucky takes a moment to assess her, he carefully cataloging her reaction to him. But when her smile stays in tact and she waits patiently, he rasps out, "Whatever's on special s'fine."

"Usually, it's gumbo," she grins. "-but you look like either a steak or a good burger type of guy. Unfortunately, we ran out of steaks but we do have the ingredients for burgers."

"S'fine." Bucky coughs lightly, just enough to clear his throat. "And I'll take whatever beer's on tap."

"Alright. Just sit and relax, and your food will be out shortly."

Tersely nodding, Bucky tries to relax as much as he can. There's a mirror behind the bar where all the liquor is shelved, he using the reflection to scan everyone at his back to make sure there's no one suspicious lingering about and watching him. His ice cold mug of beer comes a minute later, Camille dropping it off with another friendly smile before she tends to everyone else. And then after a little over five minutes later, his burger and onion rings are plated in front of him.

Waiting until Camille refills his beer and then leaves him to his own devices, Bucky then wastes no time to grab up his burger with both hands and takes an enormous bite out of it. As the flavors and juices of the burger coat his tongue, Bucky can't help but groan because he can't remember when the last time was that he took the time to actually eat a whole meal.

After scarfing down his burger and onion rings, and draining his second beer, Bucky waves down the blonde bartender. He gruffly asks for a second order of the same thing, grabbing a napkin from a nearby dispenser and wiping the grease from his fingers when her back is turned. And as he waits for his second helping, his gaze turns back to the mirror behind the bar so he can scan the reflection of what's behind him once again. There's a few new faces and even though people are coming and going, the place never seems to get overcrowded.

The second burger is even greasier than the first but just as delicious, as are the crunchier onion rings and ice cold beer. And as Bucky sits there once he's finished his food, he loses himself in thought as his flesh hand wipes some of the condensation off his mug. His memory skips into the past to where he's sitting in a somewhat familiar joint, many men crowded around small tables in various states of undress from their war uniforms. War posters cover the walls and music plays in the background but Bucky's more focused on the man sitting next to him. It's Steve-_ the man from the bridge_\- but he can't recall what they're talking about. And then suddenly, there's a woman in a red dress that former Bucky tries charming but she's more interested in Stevie.

"Hey there, handsome," Camille snaps him out of the memory. "Finished already? How was it?"

Startled, the Soldier is immediately on alert even as Bucky remains in control so instead of going for a weapon, his metal hand grips the side of his chair to keep from lashing out. Camille's sporting an easy going grin and the Soldier finds himself mentally annoyed that he can feel a smirk forming. "It was perfect, doll." Bucky gulps as the pet name rolls off his tongue, the Soldier slowly retreating even as his metal arm whirs and plates shift.

The blonde chuckles at the pet name, shaking her head in fond amusement before reaching under the bar for a rag to wipe down the counter top. "Would you like another?"

Smirk slowly falling, Bucky gives his head a quick shake and finishes off the remainder of his beer. "I'm good but I can do with another beer."

"Sure. Coming right up."

Bucky receives his third beer for the night, taking a slow pull of the cold liquid when a group of rambunctious men startle him yet again. He takes a moment to calm himself, getting his mind and breathing under control before standing and turning his chair around so he could people watch. Though turning around to watch those around him would prove to be his first mistake of the night.

One of the newcomers is laughing with his friends at a table not far away, and for a split second he looks up only to make eye contact with Bucky. The stranger's amusement doesn't fade and he nearly looks away but his gaze falls to Bucky's thigh where his metal hand is resting. The smile then falters and his eyes slightly widen as if recognition set in, and he tries his best to immediately look away and be inconspicuous. But one by one, his surrounding friends slowly tense after a few muttered words and a few brave souls attempt to look in Bucky's direction.

Cursing softly, Bucky stands and rights his chair. He sets down his mostly filled mug of beer before reaching into his jean's front pocket and pulls out a wad of crumpled cash, tossing it next to his empty plate. There was more than enough money to cover his order and the bartender could do what she pleases with the rest.

Tucking his metal hand into the pocket of his jacket and gripping a dagger tight, the Soldier takes over and keeps his head down as he exits the establishment. The noise from outside makes him even more tense since he had grew accustomed to the lower sounds from inside the joint, his shoulders hunching as he quickens his pace through the crowd.

With the noise lowering and crowd thinning the further he gets away, the Soldier remains on edge with the amount of eyes he can _feel_ on him. He keeps his gaze straight ahead now, watching the shadows for anything out of the ordinary. And the strange thing about this all is that the Soldier doesn't even hear the enemy until it's too close and he's being shoved down an alley between two buildings that's surprisingly well lit but with no other living soul nearby.

The Soldier stumbles before he can find his footing, hearing a pebble scattering across the ground behind him a second later. Not wasting a second, the Soldier frees his dagger and sends it flying as he whirls around in the direction of the sound. The silver blade finds it's target in the chest of a dark haired individual, the man gasping and staring down at the weapon embedded in his chest in disbelief.

The Soldier moves to stand tall and at ease but the man hisses before slowly lifting his head to glare at him with black veins beneath his blood shot eyes and sharp teeth showing between parted lips. And this- the Soldier remembers seeing this before. He remembers fighting a blonde female back in DC a while back- a female who had unimaginable strength and speed. So as the strange man moves to grip the hilt of the blade and yank the weapon free without so much as a grunt, the Soldier starts stripping out of his jacket so his arms are able to move more freely in the fight he knows is about to happen.

But allowing his arms to be caught in the material of the jacket for a brief moment would prove to be his second mistake of the night. Because as most of the material is caught around his wrists right before he lets the material fall, another person comes up behind him to twist his own jacket around his wrists- binding them together- and is then shoving him chest first up against the brick wall.

_What the hell are they?! _The Soldier mentally rages. _No one is that quiet._

The Soldier struggles against the captor at his back, his cap falling to the ground and hair falling loose as his metal arm whirs to be set free of his constraints. "Get. Off."

"Now, now, mate. Tone down the aggression. We just want to help," a distinctive English accent muses.

The Soldier struggles even more at how cheerful the man seems, snarling in rage and snapping his head back without warning. The _crunch! _of bone sounding and the sudden lax of grip on his wrists has the Soldier yanking his wrists apart and tearing the jacket in order to be free. However, as he whirls around in preparation for a fight, the sandy-brown haired man who's dripping blood from his nose is growling with dull yellow glowing eyes- black veins slithering to the surface beneath said eyes.

"What are you people?" the Soldier snarls.

The dark haired individual- not the one that the Soldier wounded- but another one in a suit looks faintly amused as he answers, "Friends of a friend. We're here to help you, Sergeant Barnes."

Instead of calming, the Soldier tenses yet again and reaches for dagger in a hidden pocket at his thigh. Only before he can retrieve it, his hand's being knocked away by a blur of the sandy-blonde haired man's arm. And then in another blur, the Soldier suddenly finds himself pinned to the brick wall once more only this time, his back is to the wall and a hand is gripped tight around his throat- pinning him there.

The sandy blonde haired man is using his free hand to hold the Soldier's flesh wrist at his side and the man in the suit is using both hands to pin his metal arm. And luckily for them, they're crowded too close to the Soldier for him to kick out.

"What do you want with me?" he spits in anger, struggling against their hold. These men were too strong to be human. "'m not going back. That's not an option."

"Well if you would calm down," the sandy-blonde one speaks, rolling his eyes. "-and act civilly, you'd know we're actually trying to help."

"'m not going back. Not to Hydra. You're gonna hafta to kill me." The Soldier pulls on his metal arm, plates shifting but the suited man keeps a firm grip on him.

"Hydra?" the blonde snorts. "You think we're Hydra, mate?" The Soldier stops struggling for a few seconds, gaze assessing at this new piece of information. And with a smirk, the monstrous features of the sandy-blonde haired man disappear as he continues talking. "We were asked to capture Hydra agents and turn them in or kill them if they became too much trouble. But sadly," he sighs now, feigning sadness. "-they tend to kill themselves when they see just the faintest flash of fang."

Struggling ensues. The arms whirs and the metal plates shift. "Then who are you?"

"Like my brother said," the man gives a dimpled smirk. "-we're friends of a friend. Allies, really. Does a bloke in skin tight red, white, and blue ring any bells?"

Eyes widening just a fraction, the Soldier snarls. "No."

"Oh, bloody hell," the blonde then groans. "If you won't behave, I'll make you." The Soldier bares teeth as the sandy-blonde haired man places his face just inches away from the Soldier's, pupils dilating and oddly putting him in a bit of a sudden trance. "Stop struggling and calm down. We're not the enemy."

**XxX**

Klaus watches as Sergeant Barnes- well, the shadow of the man he once was, really- goes lax in his grasp. But only for a brief moment. His pupils had dilated with the compulsion but now- now the man's pupils are widening and narrowing repeatedly as his breathing turns erratic.

Brows pulling together in confusion, Klaus leans back just as Barnes starts struggling once more though not as hard as before. "Interesting," he mutters. "'lijah, get Caroline and Mr. Rogers on the phone. Compulsion isn't working on this one."

Elijah merely hums in acknowledgement, then peering over his shoulder and gives a brief whistle. Three vampires- two men and one woman- drop from rooftop of the building behind them, striding over and each pinning the metal arm to the wall while Elijah takes his strength away to make the phone call.

**XxX**

Caroline's curled up with Steve on their couch, the couple lounging about in their own private living space. She's tucked under his right arm, peering up and running her fingers along the dark scruff covering the bottom half of his face.

"I think you should keep this," she grins, dragging a nail under his jaw. "I actually kind of like it."

"Mhm," Steve hums. "You're just lucky you heal really fast or else you wouldn't be saying that. Beard burn is no joke."

Caroline giggles, then cupping Steve's jaw in hand before leaning up so she can kiss him. But just as their lips are literally centimeters apart, Caroline's phone blares.

"It's always your phone," Steve chuckles. "And I'm the Avenger in this relationship."

"Shutup." Caroline grunts, pushing off of Steve and off the couch so she can stand. She picks her phone from the coffee table and frowns when she sees Elijah's name on the caller ID. Accepting the call, she puts it on speaker. "Elijah? You're on speaker."

_"Ah, Miss Forbes. I'm going to take a wild guess and say Mr. Rogers is with you?"_

"Duh."

"Hello, Mr. Mikaelson," Steve then greets.

_"Mr. Rogers." _There's a brief pause before the Original is speaking again, he starting off with a soft sigh. _"I know the orders were to not apprehend the Winter Soldier but-"_

"You have him?!" Steve jumps to his feet.

_"We have him. A vampire in the Quarter recognized him at a bar and I'm afraid he didn't do a very good job at being inconspicuous. Sergeant Barnes realized this and fled but my brother and I caught up with him. Caroline. Mr. Rogers, Sergeant Barnes is fighting the compulsion. We need you here immediately."_

"O-of course," both Caroline and Steve stammer simultaneously and had this been under different circumstances, the couple would have laughed. But it's not and Steve's already fiddling with his own phone to prep a team and quinjet that agent May and Skye managed to steal back.

Seeing that Steve's busy, Caroline takes charge of her own phone once more. "Thank you, Elijah. They'll be there as soon as possible."

* * *

**So I know Bucky's OOC and I apologize. It's my first time writing for the Soldier and I must admit, it's not easy. **


	11. Chapter 11

When Steve has finally managed to round up a team for Bucky's extraction, he ends up using Barton as his pilot (Barton who had come back to the Tower ever since Coulson extracted the SHIELD agents from Mystic Falls), Natasha and Stefan who were relaxing in South Carolina when they got picked up in the quinjet on the way to New Orleans, and let Tony fly alongside the quinjet in case he needed the extra help to restrain Bucky.

It was late into the night by the time Steve and his chosen team arrived in New Orleans, Clint staying with the jet while the others went to retrieve Barnes. No one bothered to take in the scenery and instead stalked the streets straight into the French Quarter where a couple vampires found them, and escorted them back to one of the Mikaelson's many homes where the inside looked like an enclosed courtyard.

And instead of chaos or finding Bucky struggling against those he did not know, Steve finds his best friend sitting at a small wooden table with a blonde female who's speaking very quietly to him. His shoulders are hunched, his hair is tied in a small knot at the base of his skull, and he's wearing a black cap. It seems as if he's trying to make himself invisible but he's shaking and nodding his head along to whatever's being spoken to him.

The vampires who escorted Steve, Natasha, Tony, and Stefan scamper off almost immediately only for Elijah to saunter up with acknowledging nods to each newcomer. "Curious being that Mr. Barnes," he drawls, coming to a stop as his hands tuck themselves away in his slack's pockets. "He fought tooth and nail all the way here only to calm down when he heard us beckon our sister Rebekah from the other room."

Everyone sans Steve looks to Elijah as he speaks- both the Original and Steve staring at the duo across the room.

"He had a little sister named Rebecca," Steve murmurs. "Adored her with every fiber of his being. It tore him up when he had to leave for the war. I'm guessing with his programming being broken, a memory slipped through when you called out for your sister."

Elijah finally tears his gaze from his sister and Sergeant Barnes, and looks towards Steve with a furrowed brow. "Programming?"

Steve's expression closes off and Natasha takes a step forward up to Elijah's other side. "When Hydra took him, they took his mind apart piece by piece. They wiped every memory he's ever had and moulded him into their perfect weapon. So when they had a high risk target needed to be taken out, they sent in the Winter Soldier. And when he finished with his mission, they wiped his mind once more before refreezing him until they needed him again."

Elijah is very much surprised and appalled, mouth slightly agape at the treatment Sergeant Barnes has been put through. Even Rebekah who is all the way across the room startles, her head snapping in the direction of Natasha who had spoken of Bucky. And as for the man in question, Bucky's slow to become unsettled when he realizes his time is up with the blonde who has the same name as a little girl he once cared for.

Rebekah then stands from the table, looking down at Bucky and murmuring something that has the dark haired individual slowly standing as well. His arms fall tense at his sides, hands fisting as he hesitantly walks around the table to be at Rebekah's side when she gestures towards Steve and the rest of their company. And when Bucky looks up so the bill of his cap isn't hiding his face, it takes everything in Steve to not rush up to his friend and welcome him home.

Instead, Steve waits patiently as Rebekah and Bucky make their way towards him and the others. There's no relieved expression, no relieved exclamation, and the closer Bucky gets the more it seems like he's trying to curl in on himself. For having been found, the Sergeant still looks so lost.

"Buck," Steve greets with a gulp, trying to smile reassuringly as he lets his gaze assess every detail of his friend. Like, for instance, how Bucky's trying to hide his metal arm behind him.

A moment passes. And then another.

"Punk." The reply is gruff and a bit uncertain though he doesn't pose the name as a question. It's almost as if he's.. terrified. Ashamed.

Steve's expression crumples but he's quick to mask it and surprisingly, Rebekah takes the attention off of him. "Well, it's been lovely, James. Truly. And as our time comes to a close, I feel that I should say should you ever wanna talk, you know how to reach me." His head turns towards her and he gives her a terse nod before quickly glancing down at his feet. "And you," the blonde then catches Steve's attention. "Should you ever need the assistance of an Original, I'd be happy to get away from my brothers and visit New York."

Steve manages a nod even though his gaze never leaves Bucky and Stefan quirks an eyebrow at the Original. "That's awfully kind of you, Rebekah. What's the catch?"

"Ah, Stefan," she smiles in greeting as if realizing his presence for the first time. "I see you've finally detached yourself from that doppel-slut. Good for you. And might I add that the redhead is a fine choice."

Natasha merely smirks at the blonde's words, shrugging it off and taking a step closer to Stefan as his grin falters.

"Now, now, 'bekah. No need to start drama. We all know you and Stefan are a thing of the past. Leave it there." Klaus saunters in from one of the side rooms, Bucky tensing at the sound of the Hybrid's voice before glancing over and glaring at said Hybrid. He's really learned a lot since Rebekah sat down with him to talk about the creatures of New Orleans while they waited for Captain America.

"That's rich, Nik, coming from you," his sister doesn't miss a beat. "Weren't you, just mere hours ago, asking Elijah all sorts of questions about Caroline and whether or not she was coming along on this trip?" Klaus' smirk falls and Rebekah's widens. "For goodness sake, Nik, she's shagging America's favorite son. You should really just give it up already."

Had the circumstance been any different, Steve would have been torn between blushing and preening under the blonde's words since she seemed to put her brother in his place for the time being. But instead, Steve's too occupied with watching how Bucky shadows every step Rebekah makes and the way he looks ready to pounce should Klaus attempt to put his hands on his sister. And though the situation is rather serious, Stefan and Natasha can't help their amused grins nor can Tony keep in his snort as Klaus glares and frowns.

"And Stefan," Rebekah then turns her all too sweet expression on him before turning rather serious. "There is no catch, I assure you. People change. I really do only want to help."

Stefan nor Natasha can tell if the blonde is deceiving them, and she really does look like she only wants to help. So while both of them give the blonde nods of acknowledgement and thanks, Tony claps his hands together though he regrets it the second Bucky flinches at the noise.

"Right," Tony drawls, taking a step back when Bucky eyes him. "Should we get the show on the road now? Blondie Original is welcome to the Tower whenever the Buckster feels like he's in need of her company though don't think for a second we won't have reinforcements, missy." Rebekah merely smiles and dips her head understanding. "Elijah, you too, I guess though I don't trust your brother."

Klaus flashes him a dimpled smirk and starts backing away. "Smart man. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got business to attend to. My brother and sister will gladly escort you back to your jet."

Everyone watches as Klaus retreats, only looking away once he's out of view. No one seems to be in a rush to leave though after a pointed look from Steve, Stefan and Natasha take the lead with Elijah at their side. Rebekah tries to escort Bucky next but when he stands his ground and stares blankly at Tony and Steve with distrust, Steve sighs and gestures for Tony to follow while Bucky and Rebekah bring up the rear.

However, when they get to the quinjet, Bucky practically digs his heels into the ground when he notices a new stranger waiting on the jet. It takes Clint holding his hands up in surrender and Rebekah's assurance that agent Barton is one of the good guys before he even steps foot on the jet, and then it takes Rebekah assuring Bucky that Stefan could be trusted as much as she could be, if not more, before Bucky gets settled down enough to buckle himself in.

As Natasha settles herself in the cockpit with Clint and Stefan sits across from Bucky, Steve, Elijah, and Tony wait while Rebekah gives her farewells. She then makes a brief stop where she hands Steve a piece of paper, telling him that it's her personal number should they ever need anything and then disappears in a blur along with her brother.

Pocketing the number with a sigh, Steve turns to Tony as he starts suiting up his armor once more. "I know Pepper said she was going to have a room ready for Bucky when we returned but can you make sure it's close to my floor? I'd like to be as close as possible to him in case he has a setback."

"Don't worry about it, Captain. Little Bit has everything worked out already."

"She does?"

"Of course, she does. It's Forbes we're talking about." Tony's met with a blank stare so with a roll of his eyes, he continues on to explain. "Caroline was in touch via JARVIS on our flight here. She pretty much had the same thought as you only she did you one better. Instead of having Barnes in a completely different apartment, Caroline's decided that for the time being, she'll stay in her first apartment that I offered her at the Tower while Barnes takes the guest room in your shared home."

"What? No. She doesn't-"

"She does," Tony cuts him off. "The last time Barnes saw Caroline, she faked her death so he'd leave her be. With the mind set that Bucky's in right now, he'll relapse back into Soldier mode when he realizes the monster he fought is alive and living in the same Tower." Steve's mouth snaps shut, shoulders slumping as he realizes that Tony and Caroline are right. "But fear not, Cap, it's only until you break the news to your bestie about Caroline being alive and well. Then, she'll slowly integrate into his life until he's comfortable around her before you're living together once more."

* * *

Life at the Tower goes on as normal as can be, Steve getting into a routine of walking on eggshells around his once upon a time best friend. Caroline stays true to her word, staying away and letting Bucky get comfortable with life at the Tower but she does keep herself updated by texting and calling Steve whenever she can. It also helps that Steve gave JARVIS permission to use the cameras in the sitting area of his and Caroline's home but only if Caroline was the one viewing the footage.

Pepper and Tony try their best to keep Caroline busy when she gets a little bit too mopey, and Bruce worms his way into Bucky's very small circle of _okay people _to check if Bucky is in good health.

And since the Tower's private upper levels are on lock down until further notice, it's Caroline and Pepper who have to talk to Director Coulson- the ladies telling him how they've brought in Sergeant Barnes but he's not in the greatest of mindsets so they're keeping the people he's to come in contact with to the minimum. Director Coulson understands and promises to keep in touch though the team is about to go dark since they've started up with the missions again.

Caroline and Pepper wish Director Coulson luck, and the phone call disconnects.

Bonnie shows up a week after Bucky has been brought in (she pouting because she couldn't exactly bring Jax along with her to the Tower since pets weren't allowed at the Tower), the witch then splitting her time between Caroline and Clint which prompts the blonde vampire to waggle her eyebrows suggestively every time Bonnie gets caught staring at the archer. Even Natasha joins in on the teasing in her own way but it wasn't exactly like she had much room to tease since most of her time is spent with Stefan in the gym.

* * *

It takes nearly two weeks before the inevitable happens- Bucky running into Caroline when she's innocently making herself lunch in the communal kitchen.

As far as the blonde vampire had knew, Bucky had been restricted to only the living space with Steve, the gym when he needed to let off some steam, and down in the medical wing if Steve thought his friend needed to be looked at. So when Caroline dressed for the day in a black gypsy cami top, black high waisted sailor denim shorts, and chunky heel short boots, she didn't think she'd have another face to face with the Winter Soldier.

Humming along to a tune in her head, Caroline moves at ease around the kitchen as she gathers the supplies for a home-made pizza. The pepperoni sticks gets sliced into thin pieces, the two different blocks of cheese get grated, and the pizza sauce- that JARVIS managed to track down in a squeezable bottle- gets squeezed onto the already made pizza crust.

It's when Caroline's spreading said sauce to make an even coating that she hears the elevator doors whoosh open and the steady thumping of a heartbeat get closer and closer. She doesn't bother glancing up, instead she's still humming along to the nameless tune as she digs her fingers into both cheeses and starts sprinkling it over the saucy crust.

A sudden sharp intake of breath has Caroline jolting, her head snapping up only to find Bucky staring at her in disbelief and confusion. His hair hangs limply to frame his face and the scruff has yet to be shaven though he has seemed to have found Steve's stash of muscle t-shirts and jogging pants.

The two hold each other's gaze, Caroline not moving a muscle even as Bucky's gaze goes unfocused only to dart back and forth as if he's lost in a memory. "Bucky?" Caroline gulps, dropping the cheese and keeping her hands up. "Are y-you okay?"

The lost gaze comes back into a sharp focus then, locking on Caroline as the disbelief and confusion bleeds away to anger. His flesh hand reaches behind him within the blink of an eye, moving so fast that Caroline takes a step back when his hand resurfaces with a dagger gripped tight. Her own gaze darts from left to right, looking for the easiest escape route that won't put the Soldier any more on guard.

"I killed you," the Soldier sneers, shifting his feet and angling his body to prepare for a fight. "Yet you live."

"I know you know what vampires are now," she tells him hesitantly. "The tree branch missed my heart when I landed on it."

The Soldier advances, coming closer to rounding the island bar with a distrustful gaze, and Caroline retreats with every step he takes forward. "Why. Are you. Following me?" He seethes.

"J-JARV," Caroline calls out, scrambling back more quickly. "-a little help please!"

The Soldier lunges and Caroline squeaks, screaming for JARVIS to hurry as she jumps out of the way and flashes around the island only to end up by the refrigerator- she now thinking it best to contain the Soldier to one room instead of having him running rampant after her throughout the Tower. The Soldier practically growls, sneering as he whirls around and tosses the blade into his metal hand to prepare for another attack.

But before he can attempt said attack, the grate to a vent from up above drops and clatters on the ground. Caroline squeaks again, the Soldier becomes even more tense, and Clint drops in with his bow and a single arrow nocked. "She's a friend, Sarge," he says, standing up from his crouch. "Put your weapon away."

"She's the enemy. She tried to kill me."

With Clint standing between them, the Soldier looks less inclined to attack so the archer chances a brief glance over his shoulder. Wide-eyed and tucked away atop the counter and beneath the upper cabinets, Caroline shakes her head. "I did not! I fought you, yes, but I never went in for the kill. I knew you were Steve's friend but my anger- my anger," she babbles. "I lost control, okay! My temper got the best of me when I saw how injured Steve was. I'm sorry!"

The elevators door ding open and three frantically beating hearts reach Caroline's ears. Steve, Tony, and Bonnie round the corner- all three skidding to a stop when they assess the situation at hand.

"Buck? Buck, what are you doing? Put the dagger down."

The Soldier's gaze darts to Steve, narrowing slightly before darting back to Caroline. Tony and Bonnie are slow to edge closer to Caroline, planting themselves in front of her even though Caroline's more than capable of taking care of herself.

"Come on, Barnes," Tony pipes up. "You wouldn't want to hurt the Cap's girl, would you?"

The Soldier seems to draw back at that, gaze flickering between Steve and Caroline as his brows pull together in confusion. The anger slowly bleeds away though the dagger remains gripped tight in hand, and Caroline slowly lowers her legs from the counter to let them hang freely over the side.

"Seriously?!" Caroline scoffs, gaze zeroing in on Steve. "You didn't even tell your best friend that you're dating someone?"

Clint snorts, Bonnie and Tony grin, and Steve turns pink around the ears. "I- I forgot?" He gulps. "I was kind of busy with other things, sweetheart." Caroline rolls her eyes but grins nonetheless, hopping off the counter to stand between her friends just as Steve gives his attention back to Bucky. Walking forward, he lays a hand on Clint's shoulder and nods, letting the archer know that it's okay to lower the bow. "It's okay, Buck. You don't have to fight here. No one here is the enemy."

"Yeah, if anything, your Blondie Original and her brothers are the ones you have to watch out for. After all, they're the ones who tortured Little Bit and her friends when they were just kids." Tony steps forward, putting the attention on him as he steps in front of Caroline to take her out of the Soldier's view. "We also have a witch among the residents of the Tower," he continues to say, gesturing towards Bonnie who looks offended that Tony just outed her. Might as well get all the surprises out of the way. "And Stefan's a vampire, too. I wouldn't let anyone live in this tower if they were bad guys, Barnes. Relax."

There's more hesitation on the Soldier's part , confusion clearly making it's way back into his features. "Come on, Buck," Steve tries again. "She took a bullet to the head for me. She saved mine, Tony, and Pepper's lives. She's really not the enemy."

The Soldier's metal arm shifts and his grip goes lax on the blade. Gaze ping-ponging between the supposed couple, his gaze then narrows and assesses them before his shoulders minutely drop. "I thought I liked the spitfires, punk."

Everyone sans Steve seems to breath out a collective sigh, the Captain sheepishly shrugging. "What can I say? She tackled Stark into the elevator. It was pretty much love at first sight."

The Soldier's lips twitch in amusement and the room's occupants take it as win.

"Soooo, if we're all done with the fighting," Caroline pipes up. "-can I get back to pizza making? I'm really hungry."


	12. Chapter 12

With Bucky now in the know that the monstrous- well, not really monstrous anymore- blonde he once fought is alive and well, and living in the same Tower as himself, Caroline doesn't actively avoid him anymore. Although, she does check in with Steve in advance before showing up to their shared living quarters to find out Bucky's mood before popping over for a visit.

And if Bucky and Caroline run into each other in the hallways or find themselves in the same room, Caroline always makes sure to keep her distance with a friendly smile in greeting. Bonnie, too, keeps her distance since Bucky is a bit skeptical about her magical ability but Stefan is surprisingly accepted with ease once Steve introduces Bucky to vervain.

Bucky then has a hard time recuperating what with Steve trying to make him remember the man he once was. He can't do it- can't handle it- especially not after remembering what lives he took, both innocent and not so innocent, as his time as the Asset.

Sleep is also hard to come by- at least for anyone who isn't Pepper because they all know not to bother the CEO unless the building is burning down- seeing as they choose to stand by Steve's side when Bucky has relapses mid-nightmare. They learn to handle the Soldier's triggers- not being too loud around him so he doesn't think they're a threat or not being too quiet so he'd think that they're trying to sneak up on him. Because sneaking up on the Soldier, not such a smart idea especially seeing as he always somehow manages to hide a weapon on him.

But as the weeks slowly pass and Bucky grows accustomed to everyone's personalities and quirks, he grows, too. He might not be the man he once was- even as the memories of the past are frequently coming more and more- but he's someone who wants to be better than he recently was. So when he sees Caroline hanging out more and more with Steve in their own living space that she willingly gave up so he could be close to Steve, Bucky decides to pay Stark a visit.

Of course, the visit happens in the hallway and not in Stark's lab- because _nope, not going in there- _and Bucky asks if he can be moved out of Rogers' place. Tony seems surprised up until Bucky reluctantly admits that he doesn't like keeping Steve from his girl even if said girl still causes him to be on guard every now and then, and that he wishes to still remain close to Steve since he thinks the Captain is the only one capable of dealing with the Soldier. So by the end of the night, Tony has an apartment on Steve and Caroline's floor set up for Bucky, and gives Caroline the green on returning to her lover's bed.

Although, when Caroline and Steve are able to being all couple-y again, everyone practically rolls their eyes when Steve still seems to spend the same amount of time with Bucky as if they still shared the same living space. But does Caroline complain? Nope. Not at all. Instead, she works on trying to get Bucky to trust her and usually wakes when Steve does early in the morning to make him breakfast and Bucky chocolate milkshakes who oddly drinks one pre-workout.

Of course, though, it takes Bucky a while until he trusts the food Caroline gives out.

* * *

Caroline hears the alarm clock beeping before Steve does, she whimpering and curling tighter into a ball when Steve starts shifting beneath the blanket. His legs untangle from hers and the weight of his arm disappears from her waist.

"Nooo," Caroline groans, eyes still shut as she chases the warmth of Steve's body.

Steve chuckles, voice rough with sleep. "Sorry, sweetheart."

Rolling until she comes up to the edge of the bed, Caroline peers up through bleary eyes and makes grabby hands at her retreating boyfriend. "Come back to bed. Tell Bucky to spar with Stefan. He'll enjoy the challenge."

"Maybe next time. I'm already up."

Caroline pouts and Steve chuckles some more, bending down to brush a kiss against the corner of her lips before retreating into the bathroom. The second she hears the shower turn on, Caroline huffs and rolls to lay on her back only to blankly stare up at the ceiling. And after a moment passes, she kicks off the blanket and blurs into the kitchen.

Standing around the kitchen island, Caroline shakes off the last remaining tendrils of sleep and sets to work. She pulls out their blender from one of the bottom cabinets and plugs it in before heading to the freezer to take out the chocolate ice cream. The milk and chocolate syrup come out next, and Caroline sets to work on making a rather large milkshake. And once done, she pours the chocolate coldness into a large plastic cup before setting it in the freezer carefully to become a bit firmer before it gets to Bucky.

Halfway through Steve's shower, Caroline enters the bathroom but keeps her eyes forward much to Steve's amusement. He doesn't mind if she looks- it's not like they haven't shared a shower before- but he knows that Caroline doesn't like to objectify him and make him uncomfortable unless they're actually going to do something about the sexual tension that her teasing usually creates.

"What are you doing awake?" Steve asks, scrubbing soap all over himself. "Figured you would've fallen back asleep."

"I figured I'd get a head start on breakfast this morning. Anything specific you want?"

Steve hums in thought as Caroline starts washing her face, brushing her teeth another minute later. And it's when she's finger combing her hair to tie up in a sloppy bun that he finally answers. "Pancakes and bacon sound good. Do we have any fruit that Buck likes?"

"Hmm, I'm pretty sure we do. If not, I can ask Stefan to run down to the market. He won't mind."

"You sure?"

"Positive. Stefan likes fresh fruit, too. It'll be fine."

"Okay, but only if you're sure."

Steve meets Caroline's gaze through her mirror's reflection, smiling fondly at her before quickly finishing up his shower as Caroline smooths down her pajamas- the baby pink spaghetti tank top and black cotton sleep pants. And when the water shuts off, Caroline passes by the glass door with a towel in hand, passing it off to Steve with a gentle grin before letting him dress in private.

The couple's then reunited in the kitchen, the both of them working around one another with ease as Steve pulls out his nutritional cucumber and lime water from the fridge while Caroline pulls out Bucky's milkshake from the freezer. Finding a straw in one of the kitchen drawers, Caroline plops it in the cold shake and gives it a quick stir.

"Ready?"

"Ready." Steve nods, his gaze the falling. "No shoes? Socks?"

"Only going to the communal kitchen," she shrugs. "It's still home."

Steve laughs as he takes a sip of his water, nodding and then heading towards the door with Caroline at his side. The second they step into the hall, Bucky's exiting his apartment as well in his workout gear.

"Buck."

"James."

Bucky nods in greeting, smirking faintly when Caroline hands off the chocolate shake to him. He lifts the cup and wraps his lips around the straw, sucking up the chocolate-y goodness.

"That's a good shake, doll. Thanks."

"You're welcome." She smiles in appreciation, walking on one side of Steve while Bucky takes the other side as they head for the elevator. "And to think you could have been having these since you've come to the Tower."

"Yeah. Well," he grunts but ends up trailing off with a shrug.

Steve practically beams now that Caroline and Bucky are on speaking terms, but can't help but chuckle when the both of them stand on opposite ends of the elevator. Caroline gets dropped off first on the Communal floor, she waving over her shoulder at the boys with promises of food when they're done with their workout.

Walking through the kitchen, Caroline enters the pantry and just looks around at everything they have. Tony never ceases to amaze her with all the food and ingredients he keeps stocked but she's very grateful for it on days like today when the cooking mood hits her. So gathering up everything needed for pancakes and a cream icing that can be drizzled over said pancakes instead of syrup, she heads back towards the island counter and spreads everything out. Other ingredients from the refrigerator join the dry ingredients on the counter and soon enough, Caroline's mixing up the pancake batter that she remembers her mom making when she was only a kid.

As the skillet heats up and melts the dollop of butter, Caroline makes her way back to the refrigerator to skim for any fruit. Unfortunately, there is none so her best bet is to wake Stefan up in a few minutes via JARVIS (Tony really needed to stop handing out apartments unless he was trying to collect to Mystic Falls residents) and see if he'll make a trip down to market around the corner from SI.

The first pancake gets poured and it's after the first flip that the first early riser makes their way to kitchen with Caroline. There's no verbal or physical greeting, no scraping of a stool being pulled back, and it's only when Caroline peers over her shoulder does she find an adorable sleep rumpled Natasha just standing there. Short, red wavy hair just barely reaches Natasha's chin, and Caroline smirks as she takes in the bare feet, black yoga pants, and the red flannel long sleeve that's buttoned just so there's a flash of navel showing.

"Morning," the blonde grins.

"Coffee?"

"Sorry. Not set yet."

The redhead pouts and Caroline's grin widens into a smirk. Plating the first pancake and laying a fork atop it, Caroline picks up the dish and walks towards Natasha before directing the sleepy assassin around the island and onto a stool. "Sit, eat, and I'll start the coffee."

Giving a faint nod, Natasha settles down and reaches for the maple syrup. "Thanks."

**XxX**

Two more pancakes are plated just as the coffee finishes brewing, Natasha coming around to make her own mug while stealing another pancake. Caroline giggles, loving the fact that Natasha lets her see this side of her right before she's fully awake, and after pouring yet another pancake on the skillet, Caroline moves back towards the refrigerator to take out even more eggs, bacon, and a bag of blood.

"Hey, JARVIS," Caroline calls out, ripping into a package of bacon. "-do you know if Stefan's awake?"

_"Indeed, Miss Caroline. Mr. Salvatore is in the elevator on his way to the Communal floor."_

"Okay. Thanks, J."

_"You're welcome, Miss."_

The pancake gets flipped and Caroline's quick to layer some bacon in yet another skillet that had been warming up. Stefan joins them right as Caroline plates the done pancake, dressed in normal clothing that has Caroline wrinkling her nose at him.

"You heathen. It's too early to be dressed properly."

"Says you. You're never awake this early," he retorts.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't get back to sleep and I kind of promised Steve and Bucky breakfast."

"That's a lot of food you're going to have to make."

Caroline sighs as she nods in agreement, Stefan then moving around the kitchen towards the bag of blood she'd left out on the counter and works on pouring two mugs of blood before plopping them into the microwave. Natasha stands and walks around the island to place her empty plate in the sink, grabs herself another cup of coffee while brushing a little too close to Stefan on her way, but Caroline doesn't say anything and instead focuses on the breakfast foods before anything burns.

"Hey, after you're done with your breakfast, would you mind running down to the market for some fruit? Preferably strawberries and blueberries for Bucky."

"Not at all."

The microwave dings, Caroline flips the bacon and plates another done pancake before pouring yet another. A mug of warm blood is then passed to her and Caroline smiles gratefully as Stefan plates himself a single pancake before settling down at the island counter with Natasha.

"Do you need any help?" Natasha wonders now that the caffeine is working it's way through her system.

"Hmm. If you want, you can start cracking the eggs. Bonnie and Clint will most likely find themselves drawn to the kitchen soon."

Natasha moves silently, sidling up to Caroline's side where she puts yet another skillet on the heat. She effortlessly cracks some eggs into the pan, salting and peppering it without a word. Yet another pancake is soon plated and the cooked bacon is set aside on a napkin so more can be added to the skillet.

As the two women work side by side, Caroline catches Stefan coming up on Natasha's other side, he grinning a rather private grin as he passes behind her. Making herself appear busy, Caroline feigns obliviousness as Natasha follows Stefan's every move with her eyes until he's rinsing off all dirty dishes in the sink including his own. Setting them in the dishwasher, Natasha's grinning at Stefan with a quirked eyebrow before focusing on the task at hand.

"So," Stefan clears his throat. "-just strawberries and blueberries is all we need?"

"Get some bananas, too. And kiwis." Natasha adds as she scrambles the eggs.

Stefan's eyes seem to sparkle as he grins at the redhead, and Caroline mentally scoffs at how very obvious they're being. _So much for being a master spysassin,_ she thinks. And as Stefan walks behind them once more, Caroline turns her head so it appears she's checking on the bacon while sipping her bloody breakfast, and catches Stefan lightly gripping Natasha's shoulders from behind while pressing a quick kiss to the back of her head.

Hiding her grin, Caroline focuses on the pancakes and bacon once more, waiting until Stefan heads for the elevator and disappears behind closed doors.

"Some spysassin you are," the blonde finally huffs. "I totally saw that. And since when have you and Stefan been a _thing, _huh? Totally didn't see that coming."

Natasha chuckles, taking the scrambled eggs off the heat. "We weren't trying to be secretive about it, Caroline. We just aren't exactly flaunting it either."

"Uh huh. And since when?"

"Since I left for D.C and Stefan kept me company while thinking up new aliases. People always mistook us for a couple every stop we made and we never corrected them. Sleeping in the same bed had it's perks."

"I'm sure it did," the blonde laughs. Another pancake gets plated, another gets poured, and the bacon gets flipped. "And since this has been going on for a while, I'm assuming sex with a vampire has ruined you for other sexual partners?" Natasha scowls, nodding, and Caroline laughs again. "Vampire stamina, gotta love it."

Before Natasha can get into just how much vampire stamina has it's perks, too, the elevator dings to signify a newcomer. Bonnie drowsily stumbles in, both ladies smiling at Bonnie's immediate scowl and rumpled clothing.

It's Natasha who makes Bonnie a plate while Caroline quickly pours her friend a mug of coffee, the dark skinned witch then smiling gratefully as the warm food and drink is set in front of her. "You guys are a godsend. I take back the bad thoughts I thought about you point seven seconds ago because you two are so perky this morning."

As Caroline finishes up her mug of blood, Natasha takes over the pancake making to give Caroline a break. "Where's your partner in crime?" Caroline asks with an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle. "You and Clint are practically attached by the hip nowadays."

Bonnie shrugs with her mouth full of food and Natasha slyly grins over her shoulder at the witch. "You and Barton, huh? How's that working out for you?"

"Not- not really a thing," Bonnie mumbles, sipping her coffee to wash down her food. "We, uh, we actually talked about it when in Mystic Falls. He's very easy on the eyes and is fun to be around but-"

"But?" Caroline drawls, leaning in and eager for the gossip.

"But the age gap freaks the both of us out," the witch admits. "Thankfully it's not weird between us after _the talk _so the occasional flirty banter just gets laughed off."

"As long as you're happy-"

"I'm happy," Bonnie smiles. "Thanks for being the concerned friend, though."

The elevator dings, signifying a newcomer and Natasha snorts. "Speak of the devil and he shall appear."

Bonnie and Caroline muffle their laughter in their mugs, watching as Clint stumbles in- he, too, still in pajamas. He doesn't acknowledge anyone and instead makes a beeline for the coffee pot. Picking up the glass pot, Clint drinks straight from it and doesn't once wince with the too hot liquid.

"Thank you, for that," Bonnie frowns. "I've only had one mug."

Clint nearly startles, glancing at the very amused expressions around him before shrugging off the fact that he didn't notice them before off. Reaching under his shirt with his free hand to scratch his stomach, Clint stumbles forward and pours coffee into Bonnie's mug before retreating to the space of counter that's clear of clutter. Hopping up, he scoots back so he's tucked beneath the top cabinets and continues drinking from the pot.

"Some things never change," Natasha shakes her head fondly.

"Is that bacon?"

Rolling her eyes, Natasha focuses back on pancake making while Caroline makes Clint a plate of bacon. The food making stalls since there's enough food for everyone currently in the room- Caroline making sure to check with JARVIS about Tony and Pepper being awake, which they're not- and it's Natasha who restarts the conversation but with a different topic.

"So what are your plans now?" Natasha directs at Bonnie. "Are you staying in New York or moving back to Mystic Falls?"

Taking a bite of her food, Bonnie shrugs. "Fury- he was in charge of the money that went into my online education while working for SHIELD. And now that Coulson's in charge, well," she trails off to drink her coffee. "I don't think he has the funding to help me with college while working under him. Mystic Falls might not be what I want but it'll probably be the only affordable option."

"Uh, excuse you," Caroline scoffs. "But have you actually stopped and looked around where you're currently bunking? If you need help, Bon-Bon, Tony will gladly help. _I _will help."

"Yeah, Sabrina, we totally got your back," Clint grunts before lying down along the counter top. "You're welcome to my guest room as long as you need it. I'm not kicking you out anytime soon."

"Or I'm sure Tony will spare another apartment," Caroline adds when her friend gets a little bit flustered. "He's already collected two vampires so I'm pretty sure that adding a witch will just put him over the moon."

"Yeah. Maybe," Bonnie mumbles, spearing eggs with her fork. "But-"

"But?" Natasha drawls.

Bonnie hesitates, shoving a forkful of egg into her mouth. "But what if I didn't want to continue with criminal justice in school? What if I wanted to switch to business? Would you still help me then?"

"What would you do with a business degree?" Caroline asks.

Bonnie ducks her head to avoid the question but as the silence lingers on, she caves. "I want to open up a small shop," she confesses. "Get back to my magic roots."

"And opening a shop will get you back to your magical roots?" Natasha questions.

"It will if I sell magical trinkets. Jewelry," the witch shrugs. "No one will actually know it's magicked unless they're already in the know about me. I've been reading up on the grimoire and there are some spells to retain energy and strength, and I think that'll be good for the human side of the Avengers."

"Uh, yeah," Clint perks up. "It's hard to keep up with Thor and Steve."

"I figured as much," Bonnie grins. "I could, like, make you guys good luck charms for when you go on missions and make non-magical trinkets as well to sell so the magic doesn't end up in the wrong hands. Candles are another option, too. I can make regular scented candles and then other candles that emit a calming essence in the room or an essence to clear one's mind so they can concentrate."

The group remains silent and when Bonnie can't stand it any longer, she chances a look at each of her friends. Caroline's beaming at her, and Clint and Natasha are both looking as if they're thinking deeply of something. And then finally..

"I like it," Clint nods. "I'll support 'ya, witchy."

"It is a good idea," Natasha agrees. "If this is the route you wish to take, I'll gladly buy some candles off of you. Lavender, of course, as well as a calming candle. I'd actually like to see how well that works out."

Bonnie seems to slump in relief, and it's then that JARVIS decides to interrupt to let Caroline know that Steve and James have finished their workout, and that they'd be up shortly. Stefan shows up seconds later with the requested fruit and Clint falls back asleep with the coffee pot tucked in the crook of his arm.

Caroline and Natasha quickly get set back to cooking and chopping up fruit, everyone awaiting the two super soldiers to watch as they attempt stealing back the coffee pot from Clint's clutches.

* * *

**So I know I've drifted away from any romance for 'Stevoline' but there can't exactly be any romance with Bucky/the Soldier around, can there? At least not until he's truly comfortable and Steve doesn't have to worry 24/7.**

**Up next, we have a bit going on. Bucky tries to be more comfortable around Caroline and Bonnie by asking questions, Bucky receives a visitor ;), and the **_**no pets allowed **_**rule gets thrown out the window.**

**SPOILER ALERT FOR THE CHAPTER AFTER NEXT SO CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK.**

**I'm bringing Skye back, and ****only**** Skye. For those who watch AoS, you know Skye's undergone a transformation and her team is all over the place so why not give Skye the family she deserves with superheroes and Caroline? Plus, the whole bullshit with SHIELD vs. the Real SHIELD is absolutely ridiculous and will not exist in this story. Deal? Good.**


	13. Chapter 13

When word eventually gets back 'round to Pepper and Tony about Bonnie's possible future, Caroline was correct in thinking that Tony would want to help. Pepper, too, when she found out that Bonnie wanted to go into the candle business. So when Stark and Potts finally tag-teamed Bonnie, the Bennett witch ended up with a very spacious apartment next to Clint's and across the hall from Natasha, and was given various college transfer applications to those nearest Stark Tower from Pepper.

Tony even went as far as buying a small two-story bookstore that had closed down near the heart of the city, happily adding Bonnie's name to the lease and planned to completely re-do the inside to the witch's liking. Bonnie had been completely shell-shocked when she found out and Pepper told her not to worry about trying to hurry through school because the building needed to be gutted and would slowly be brought back to life as she finished her education.

So all in all, having Bonnie in Stark Tower was not only great for the witch's health but for Tony's mental health as well. Knowing that the witch was slowly integrating herself into Pepper's circle of trusted people greatly soothed his mind since he knew that the witch was protective of her friends.

* * *

Caroline finds Bonnie on the Communal Floor, sitting in the living area with a spread of books before her on the coffee table, another book laying on the cushion to her left, and a spiral notebook in her lap. A gray boater styled hat sits atop the witch's head and black 6-inch chunky heeled ankle boots adorn her feet. And as Caroline comes around the couch, the sheer lace _Witching Hour_ shirt with a pentagram clock on it makes the vampire crack a smile, the smile blossoming when she realizes that her friend is comfortable enough to wear such a shirt with just a bandeau bra beneath it.

Hell, she's so surprised by Bonnie's instant comfort at the Tower that she doesn't even pay much attention to the fact that her friend is wearing a short leather skirt- something in which Bonnie rarely wore.

"Hey, Bon, how's it going?"

Bonnie groans in response, letting the pen fall from her right hand as she lets her head fall back on the couch back rest. "I forgot how much I hated writing out school work. Why didn't you talk me out of this crazy idea of mine? I should've stayed with online courses."

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad."

Huffing, Bonnie waits until Caroline takes a seat on one of the available sofa chairs and tucks the skirt of her blue plaid dress beneath her before tossing the spiral notebook at the vampire. "Yeah? Help me solve these problems then. I was always terrible at math."

Caroline scans the page, lips pursing as if in thought before sighing and laughing. "Yeah, no. You're on own, Bon-Bon." The spiral notebook gets tossed back and Caroline finds herself not being able to hold back anymore. "That's a cute shirt, by the way. You'd have never worn something like that back in Mystic Falls."

"That's because Mystic Falls is drama twenty-four seven and vampires could sniff out a witch within twenty seconds. Here in New York, I can be playful without anyone being none the wiser."

"Uh huh."

Silence lingers. Caroline adopts a knowing smile. And Bonnie fidgets. "Okay, so Clint might have ordered it online for me. I thought it was sort of hilarious."

"I knew it," the blonde bounces in her seat. "Clint got Steve and I shirts, too. Mine says _I Leave Bite Marks _and Steve's says _Fang Banger. _Hilarious but we're totally not wearing them outside of our living quarters."

"I'm not gonna lie, I would totally pay to see Steve wear that particular shirt."

"It's quite the giggle fest," Caroline admits, eyes glazing over at the memory. "Clint bought it a size too small on purpose. It stretches in all the right places."

Bonnie gives herself a moment to laugh, relaxing more into the cushions of the couch and forgetting her homework while also ogling Caroline brown wedge boots and huh, she was gonna have to borrow those one of these days. "So what have you been up to?" she asks. "It feels like I haven't seen you in days."

Caroline's eyes light up, she crossing one knee over the other in her excitement. "I've been thrust back into my event planning duties! There's been so much drama lately and Tony actually wants a night of drinks, music, and people throwing money at a charity. Normal business people milling about and donating money to whatever cause he comes up with."

"Yeah? Does he have a cause in mind?"

"Um, I'm not sure yet." the blonde sheepishly chuckles. "All I know is that it's going to be in Stark's North Tower- the top three floors being cleared out for the party- and there's going to be a lot of riding the elevator that night for the Avengers to keep up appearances."

"Well aren't we lucky then?" Bonnie grins. "We can stick to one floor while our friends make their rounds."

"Yeah, don't count on it. Steve and I might be confident in one another but it doesn't mean I like watching other females hit on him or groping his arms. I'm pretty sure I'll be stuck to his side the second he looks uncomfortable."

Bonnie laughs at her friend's pout, the elevator's ding cutting their conversation short as both Caroline and Bonnie turn to see who's stepping off on the floor. Bucky strolls into view, his steps becoming hesitant when he realizes there are gazes on him but he pushes on through nonetheless.

Clad in black track pants, a gray tank top, and his hair in a low messy bun, Bucky sheepishly crosses his arms over his chest with his flesh arm over his metal one. "Ladies," he acknowledges them as he makes his way into the kitchen.

"Sergeant," Bonnie smiles at him though his back is already turned as he heads for the fridge.

"James," Caroline then greets. "-what brings you down here? Where are your gym buddies?"

"Your boy," he grunts. "-is in a meeting. Security detail, I think, for the Tower with everyone else."

"And Stef?"

"I think he said something about driving down to Virginia to see his brother." Caroline and Bonnie _ahh _in understanding, the girls smiling politely when Bucky joins them, he taking the other sofa chair and settling down with a bottled water in hand. "What- what are you working on?"

It takes Bonnie a moment to realize that he's talking to her, she groaning a second later when her attention is brought back to work in her lap. "Math. You, uh, you wouldn't happen to be a genius with numbers, would you?"

She playfully bats her eyelashes and surprisingly, Bucky chuckles in response. "Sorry, doll. If I remember correctly, I nearly failed. My expertise is more on the violent side of things."

Pouting, Bonnie slumps back on the couch and kicks her shoes off to get more comfortable, pulling off her hat before tossing it to the side. "I don't even know why I have to do this. It's going to be _my _business. I can hire someone to crunch the numbers for me."

"Suck it up, buttercup. You'll be happy when you have the freedom to run your own store."

Bonnie sticks her tongue out at her best friend, sighing once again before giving her notebook the attention it needs. "So, uh," Bucky clears his throat. "-I know you ladies are busy but I was sort of hoping you'd answer a couple questions I had?"

"Oh, thank God," Bonnie blurts, tossing her homework atop her books on the coffee table. "Ask anything you want. Just don't make me do that," she then points at the offending notebook.

Bucky's lip twitch and then his gaze falls to the bottled water in his lap. "When I was- when I was in New Orleans, I was under the impression witches and vampires weren't exactly friends. What happened between you two to overcome that?"

Both the girls blink rather owlishly, their mouths snap shut, and they both face each other with curious expressions.

"Steve didn't tell you?" Caroline breaks eye contact with Bonnie to stare at Bucky. "No one gave you a USB stick about our history back in Mystic Falls?"

Bucky shakes his head. "I haven't exactly been- I haven't," he trails off with a frown. "I've had other things on my mind," he then settles for.

"Understandable," Bonnie mutters. Bucky gives his attention to the witch and Bonnie briefly smiles. "Long story short, Caroline and I are childhood friends. My family line is one of magic and I only learned about it once we hit high school, although I didn't believe my Grams when she told me what I was. And then a car accident landed Caroline in the hospital, Stefan's brother fed Caroline his blood so she'd heal, and then another vampire- one who was not friendly- smothered Caroline in her sleep."

Bucky gulps, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "You see, if you die with vampire blood in your system, you wake up in transition. You're pretty much given a day to decide whether to die or drink human blood and complete the transition into a vampire."

"And you chose to become one?"

Smiling sadly, Caroline shakes her head. "I was in the dark about all things supernatural. No one knew I had been attacked so when I woke up alone and in transition, I was terrified and confused as to why blood smelled appealing to me.

"I've made mistakes-"

"As have I," Bonnie cuts her friend off with sheepish grin.

"And we've had our ups and downs."

"But our friendship always ends up prevailing. We'd go to the ends of the earth for each and then some," Bonnie chuckles.

Caroline chuckles some, too, Bucky humming as he watches the two friends smiling at one another. Part of him is at ease with the two girls- the both of them being nothing but kind and helpful as he overcomes his own troubles- but the other part of him wants to put himself as far away as possible from the two threats since killing them is not an option. He knows what vampires can do- how they can get into one's mind- and that doesn't really sit well with him. Even the magic unsettles him because well, it's _magic! _Everyone tells him they're good- that they're trustful- but Bucky needs to hear it from their mouths for himself.

"Can you control the mind, too?" He asks, nearly wincing as he recalls the hybrid trying to get into his head. "Or is that only for the oldest of your kind?"

"Compulsion?" Caroline frowns. "All vampires can compel." Bucky does wince this time and Caroline's gut clenches. "But I don't- I don't do it unless I have permission from the person I'm doing it to!" She hurries to explain. "I mean, there have been circumstances when someone saw something they weren't supposed to so I made them forget they even saw it but now- now I ask beforehand. Unless, you know, they see something that's classified."

Bucky's metal hand is clenched tight and resting atop his knee, his whole form tense but his expression clearly shows that he's trying his best to calm. Bonnie and Caroline share a quick, wary glance, and it takes Bucky clearing his throat for Bonnie's head to snap in his direction. "And you?"

"What about me?" Bonnie wonders.

Bucky frowns, unclenching his hand before clenching again. "Can you magic one's mind for your benefit?"

Bonnie hesitates, gulps, and then shrugs. "Probably. I- I've never tried it," she admits. "The only time I've messed with someone's mind was when I as giving a vampire an aneurysm to make an escape or because they were hurting someone close to me."

Bucky falls silent, gaze trained on his water bottle again before he unscrews the plastic top and takes a swig of the liquid. Recapping it, Bucky remains silent and Caroline takes reign of the conversation. "James, if you're- are you worried about.. us?" She wonders, brows crinkling as a frown forms. "I know you've heard it countless of times before, but you really have nothing to worry about with us. We know," Caroline pauses and gulps. "-we know what Hydra did and we're not keen on doing anything against your wishes."

"I know but.. but it's hard to trust someone who can turn off their emotions if they wish it. At least, that's what I heard from Rebekah."

Bonnie scoffs though she avoids Bucky's gaze at the mention of the Original and Caroline's nose wrinkles in distaste. "That is true.. and well," the blonde sighs. "I'll tell you what," she then says, making sure to catch Bucky's gaze. "The moment you realize I'm acting _off _and a little too _maniacal, _I give you permission to snap my neck."

"And face the punk's wrath? I rather not."

"I'm being serious." Caroline tells him with a brief laugh. "If I crowd you or if I'm not acting normal, I give you full permission to snap my neck and put me out of commission. Although, you're on vervain so you don't have to worry about being compelled. But I'm still giving you permission right now so you know I won't be pissed when I eventually wake up if it comes down to doing what you need to do. I'll even talk to Steve about it so he knows you only did it because you felt threatened and not because you relapsed."

"Same goes for me," Bonnie pipes up. "Although, don't snap my neck because that will actually kill me and I _won't_ wake up." She nervously chuckles, tucking her hair behind her right ear. "If you ever hear me talking about using _Expression, _I give you full permission to pump me with sedatives."

"Expression?"

"It's a- it's a form of dark magic," Bonnie frowns. "I've been down that road before and I never want to go there again."

Bucky tersely nods, unscrewing the cap to his water bottle and chugging the remaining water. It's Bonnie and Caroline's turn to shift uncomfortably as they wait for Bucky to say something, he eventually just smiling tightly and standing. "Well, ladies, thank you for this. It's been very.. informative."

Caroline waves him off. "Anytime, Barnes, anytime."

Bucky nods once on his way back towards the elevator, Bonnie then stopping him as she calls out, "Seriously! Anytime. Especially if keeps me from doing homework. I'll answer whatever you need to know."

Chuckling, Bucky smirks and bids them farewell. And once he's tucked away behind elevator doors, Bonnie's smile falls away only for her lips to purse in contemplation.

"Uh oh," Caroline sing songs. "-someone's got something on their mind. Spit it out, Bon-Bon."

Bonnie snaps to attention, her gaze darting to Caroline with a sheepish chuckle. "You know how people suggest that dogs are good for Soldiers when they come home from war? Do you think James could benefit from that?" Caroline's brows furrow as she thinks about it, shrugging a second later. "I mean, I know it's going to take more than a dog but-"

"No, no, I know what you mean," Caroline cuts her off. "And that sounds like a good idea but I don't think Tony would go for it."

"Well, there's only one way to find out."

Caroline watches as Bonnie moves about loose leaf papers and the couch cushions to her right, the witch eventually finding her phone between them. "We'll see about that."

_**To: Mr. Robot-O**_

_Sudden favor but can Jax, please!, come to the Tower?_

_**From: Mr. Robot-O**_

_Who's this Jax you speak of?_

_**To: Mr. Robot-O**_

_..the puppy Avenger._

_**From: Mr. Robot-O**_

_No._

Bonnie frowns as she reads out the texts to Caroline, the blonde laughing. "I told you."

"Yeah, well, let's try again."

_**To: Mr. Robot-O**_

_A dog can be good for Barnes! It's a known fact that Soldiers invest in dogs when coming home from war. It could be good for him._

_**From: Mr. Robot-O**_

_Dogs are smelly and gross. No means no, Bennett!_

Huffing, Bonnie glares at the phone's screen. "Well, you're not the only one who makes decisions for this tower, Stark."

"Uh, what are you doing?" Caroline asks, a smile threatening to form at how easily Bonnie gets riled up with Stark. Somehow, that man had the same exact effect on everyone.

"Stark's not the only one in charge of decisions for this tower," Bonnie explains. "I'm just shooting off a quick text to his equal." She smiles all too sweetly, telling Caroline everything she is currently texting Pepper about how a dog could possibly benefit Sergeant Barnes in his recuperation, but that Tony said no and if there was any other way they could make having a dog happen?

And then seconds later..

_**From: Mr. Robot-O**_

_You play dirty, witch. Pepper? Really?!_

_**To: Mr. Robot-O**_

_You adore me. Truly. And I'll even hit the books when I'm not busy with school to see if we can magic!proof your suits._

_**From: Mr. Robot-O**_

_..._

_**From: Mr. Robot-O**_

_Fine. But you better clean up after the mongrel._

"Yes!" Bonnie cheers. "He caved. Jax can come to the tower!"

Caroline shakes her head in amusement, watching as her friend keeps playing with her phone. "Well, I guess I'll let you get back to work. I should go inform Steve that Bucky will have a new playmate soon. I'm not even sure Barnes is a dog person to begin with."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

With her friend's attention glued to her phone, Caroline decides to take her leave as well.

_**To: Clint "He's too hot (Hot Damn!)" Barton**_

_First of all.. seriously?! When did you even find the time to change your name in my phone? Second, you're never listening to 'Uptown Funk' again. And third, Operation Bring Jax Home is a go._

_**From: Clint "He's too hot (Hot Damn!)" Barton**_

_Aw yes! When's your next day off of school again? We're driving down to get him. And you can't tell me what to do. That song is my new jam._

* * *

Caroline's busy typing up a guest list for Stark's upcoming event- the Elizabeth Forbes' Cancer Charity in which money is given to people who can't afford chemotherapy treatments (yes, Caroline cried, as did Pepper and Bonnie while Tony and Clint got a bit misty-eyed though no one dared to call out anyone)- when JARVIS interrupts the vampire's train of thought.

_"Miss Caroline, apologies for interrupting but it appears your presence is being requested down in the lobby."_

"The lobby?" Caroline's head tilts in confusion. "Me?"

_"Yes. Running facial recognition has confirmed that it is Miss Mikaelson asking for you."_

"R-Rebekah?" the blonde then squeaks, jumping to her feet. "What's she doing here?! And how did you know it was Rebekah? I had Tony delete all that information from your servers."

_"Sir has re-uploaded pictures and names so that we may know who comes and goes. However, there are no incriminating creature or supernatural status for each individual."_

"Oh," she comes up a bit short then. "That's actually- that's actually a good idea. Um, tell the receptionist I'll be down in a moment."

_"As you wish."_

Caroline quickly saves what she has come up with for a guest list, exiting out of all her business documents before making her way out of her office and towards the elevator. She rides down to the lobby, all the while trying to run every possible reason for why Rebekah would be visiting. She knows of one reason but the blonde Original hasn't been in contact with him, right? As far as she knew, Bucky hasn't mentioned anything.

A few more seconds pass and the dinging of the elevator alerts Caroline that she's arrived at her destination. The doors slide open and the clicking of her heels sound overly noisy in the spacious lobby. And sure enough, the devil herself is leaning against the front counter by the receptionist and smiling a little too smugly.

"Rebekah," Caroline plasters on a smile. "What a surprise."

The receptionist is eyeing Rebekah as if she's lost her mind but the Original pays the woman no mind as she saunters up to Caroline. "Miss Forbes, always the pleasure."

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Caroline then smiles at the receptionist to let her know that everything's fine and then she's gesturing Rebekah towards the elevator she'd just stepped off of. Once they're far away enough from prying ears and eyes, Caroline's smile drops. "What are you doing here?"

"Now, now. Is that anyway to treat a guest, Caroline?" The Original smirks. Caroline's unimpressed stare makes Rebekah's smirk widen even more, the Original eventually shrugging very casually. "I've been in contact with Mr. Barnes and thought I'd pay him a friendly visit. When I brought it up, however, I was informed to ask for anyone other than Mr. Barnes himself since it appears no one knows he's here. Though he doesn't know I chose today so it's a surprise." Caroline now rolls her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hiding a wanted fugitive, Caroline?" Rebekah then drawls. "I gotta say, you've come a long way since Miss Mystic Falls."

"Whatever. If you're here for James, just follow me. The quicker I get rid of you, the better."

Rebekah follows Caroline into the elevator, the younger vampire waiting patiently for the doors to close. And once they are.. "JARVIS, can you please locate James for me?"

Rebekah quirks an eyebrow in Caroline's direction but the younger vampire pays her no mind. _"It appears Sergeant Barnes and Captain Rogers are in the gym."_

"Hmm, private floor," Caroline mumbles. And then.. "Is Tony busy? I need him to invite Rebekah out of the elevator on onto the private floors."

_"Sir Stark is willing to step away from his work momentarily. Shall I take you to the labs?"_

"Yes, please."

The elevator starts ascending and Rebekah hums. "A robot who speaks and controls the elevators? How charming."

"JARVIS is an AI," Caroline deadpans. "He's not a robot- he's practically family- and he does way more than your mind can possibly comprehend. "

_"Thank you, Miss Caroline, for defending my honor."_

"You're most welcome, J."

Rebekah hisses lowly just as the doors ding open, Tony smiling brightly. "Whoa, blondie number two, put the vein-y veins away. There is no fighting in my tower. At least not before we can start a betting pool." Caroline turns just in time to see the veins beneath Rebekah's eyes slither away, the Original scowling at her. "Great," Tony claps his hand together. "-and now that that's out of the way, Rebekah, you're welcome onto the Tower's private floors." Caroline huffs and Rebekah's back to smiling.

"Just not here, you know?" Tony gestures to the labs around him. "But you can go meet Barnes on the gym floor. Have fun!"

"I will, Mr. Stark, and thank you for inviting me in."

"Yeah, uh huh," he waves her off. "Just don't get too comfortable. As soon as your perky little self exits the Tower, we're rescinding your invitation via magic. You know, safety purposes and what not."

Rebekah pouts and it's Caroline's turn to smirk. "Right," she chuckles. "Let's go find, James, shall we?"

As Tony walks away back to his lab, the elevator doors close and JARVIS needs no prompting to take them to their next destination. The ride is short but before the doors can open, Caroline has JARVIS hold them closed. "What are Steve and James currently doing, J?" she says with her head tilted upward.

_"It appears the Sergeant and Captain are in a vigorous round of hand-to-hand combat. Should I inform them of your arrival?"_

Caroline takes a moment to think about it before turning to face Rebekah. "What do you want to do? Inform him of your arrival or go sit in the bleachers and watch the way he fights?"

The blonde Original looks a bit startled at having been asked what she wants, she eventually losing all pretenses of her usual stuck-up attitude. "Would the gentlemen mind being watched?"

"Not at all. Come on and JARVIS, don't alert the boys. We'll sit and watch until they notice."

_"If you insist, Miss Caroline."_

The doors open and both ladies are bombarded with the scene of a very shirtless Steve and a shirtless Bucky going at it- both of whom are very sweaty and grunting. There are simultaneous sudden intakes of breath, both vampires frozen in the elevator as they watch the men punch, kick, block (both with arms and Steve's shield), and flip.

"Do they- do they always fight like this?" Rebekah gulps as she drinks in the scene before her.

"Fight? Yes. Go shirtless? Not that I've ever seen." Both vampires watch in awe, Caroline quietly clearing her throat. "Should we get closer?"

"Yes, please."

Caroline snorts, giggling just the slightest as she meets Rebekah's gaze. Finding amusement on the blonde Original's face, Caroline quickly frowns. "This doesn't make us friends."

"Of course not. But in the mean time, we can ogle in silence."

"I really hope you're ogling Barnes and not my boyfriend."

"Sure. Whatever you say, Caroline. Shall we take a seat?"

Grumbling lowly, Caroline shows Rebekah into the gym- mindful not to interrupt the sparring match taking place right before their eyes. They quietly take a seat on the nearby small set of bleachers, gazes glued to Bucky's gleaming arm as it comes down to make contact with Steve's shield.

"He seems to be doing well," Rebekah realizes as Bucky huffs a laugh or smirks when he lands a punch to his friend. "There haven't been any problems, have there?"

"Why? Why do you care?"

Rebekah lets her gaze dart to Caroline, the older vampire rolling her eyes. "Oh, come off it, Caroline. Whether you believe it or not, I've changed. Slightly," she then shrugs. "I'm only asking because I actually think of James as a friend. I have no other intentions towards James seeing as it's rare to make friends nowadays who already know what you are and they not think you a monster."

Caroline holds off on a retort, letting Rebekah's words sink in as she studies the elder's features. "He's fine," Caroline eventually mumbles. "We had a few problems in the beginning with his nightmares but Steve was there to talk him through the aftermath. Steve has a friend coming in in a few short weeks- he's a PTSD counselor for war veterans in DC- and we think that Bucky venting to the counselor would be good for him."

Rebekah nods in understanding and it's then that the vampires realize the gym has gone quiet.

"Rebekah?" Both vampires turn hastily in the direction of Bucky's voice, both ladies looking like deer caught in headlights. "What are you doing here?"

Though Rebekah stated that her intentions are purely platonic, she can't help but look her fill and slightly blush as she averts her gaze. But in doing so, she misses the simultaneous snorts of amusement from Bucky and Steve as they near the girls.

"J-just thought I'd drop in for a visit," the Original stammers. "Surprise..?"

This time it's Caroline who snorts and Rebekah has no problem glaring at the baby vampire. "Come along, Steve," Caroline sweetly smiles. "-let's leave these two to catch up. I can take an early lunch."

Steve follows without a word, picking up a towel from a nearby bench to wipe himself of the sweat clinging to him and then pulls on a white tank top. Bucky, too, takes pity on his friend and cleans himself of the sweat before pulling on his own shirt.

And once tucked away inside the elevator, Steve raises a curious eyebrow. "Should I be worried about Bucky dating an Original vampire?"

"Nah. Rebekah says they're friends; that her intentions are purely friendly. And believe it or not, I actually believe her. She actually has her eyes set on a human back in Mystic Falls."

* * *

On the newly deemed family night, Pepper, Caroline, and Steve find themselves sitting in a circle where the coffee table once was on the communal floor while they play Yahtzee. Stefan and Natasha take up the entire couch, both on opposite ends though Natasha's feet are in Stefan's lap, and Tony and Bucky fill the sofa chairs as they marathon _Game of Thrones._

Bonnie and Clint had left early in the morning, and Bruce had left a few days prior for KolKata to resume his doctor duties until he was needed back at the Tower or until he just wanted to come home. And the only word anyone had from Thor came in the form of phone calls from Doctor Foster's Intern who informed them that _"alien dude is fine and dandy, and he'll visit when he finds the time"_.

"Yahtzee!" Caroline suddenly crows, fist pumping in the air and disturbing everyone's calm postures with her outburst. "Yes! Eat it, Rogers!"

Pepper snorts, quickly covering her mouth and nose with her score pad as if she can't believe the noise just left her while Tony and Bucky bark out a laugh. Steve's shaking his head fondly, and Stefan and Natasha have paused their show to see what the excitement is about.

"Little Bit, I'm all for Steve's new found confidence now that he's getting laid on the regular-" Bucky laughs again and Steve blushes. "-but please, I don't want any exhibitionism from you. You're like.. an immortal daughter to me."

Caroline coos while also rolling her eyes in good humor, and quickly writes down her score. "Chill, Tony. You know I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure you didn't."

Stefan, Bucky, and Natasha all chuckle along with Tony, their amusement being cut short when the elevator dings and alerts them to another arrival. Clint saunters out with Bonnie trailing behind him- the both of them grinning widely though Bonnie never leaves her spot from behind him.

"Guys," she calls out even though their attention is already on her, and she and Barton are standing just behind Tony's chair. "-I'd like all of you to finally meet Jax." As Bonnie steps out from behind Clint, all gazes drop to the small- not really a puppy but not yet fully grown- brown, black, and white bassett hound.

Pepper's the only one to immediately coo while Tony _ughs _and Caroline's nose crinkles in distaste. Bonnie squats to put the pup down, urging him towards Pepper who's already clucking her tongue and reaching for him.

Slowly but surely, Jax creeps forward until his cold wet nose is sniffing around Pepper's fingers. "Oh my goodness, look at his ears!" she squeals. "They're nearly touching the floor."

"If that thing starts peeing and crapping, Bennett-"

"Shush, Tony," Pepper admonishes, letting the pup try to jump on her lap while licking and nipping her fingers. "Don't pretend like you weren't waiting to meet this little guy. I know all about the spare office in the gym being transformed into an indoor dog park." Tony gasps in a mocking manner and Pepper winks at him.

"What?" Clint then chuckles.

After grumbling something beneath his breath at Pepper, Tony then turns his attention back to Barton who's just standing behind his shoulder. "What do you mean _what? _We can't have you or Hermione, over there, getting sick if it's raining and you're walking the little flea bag."

"Aw, Tony," Bonnie grins. "Thanks for that."

"Yeah, yeah."

"With all due respect, Miss Potts," Steve sheepishly speaks up. "-but can you stop hogging Jax?"

Caroline snorts as she moves the dice and forgotten score pads behind her, Pepper finally then giving up on playing with Jax when Steve starts calling him over. The pup takes a moment to stop by Caroline, curiously sniffing her only to flinch back with a whimper and scampers towards Steve.

"That's right, little man. You better recognize who's in charge here."

"Geez, Caroline," Bonnie snorts and chuckles. "He's a puppy. There's no need to state your dominance over him."

"Yeah and if you want to get technical, I'm the alpha of the bunch," Stefan quips. "Creature-wise," he then corrects when all the other males plus Natasha turn to stare at him. Bonnie scoffs and Stefan groans. "Okay, vampire-wise then. I am older."

Caroline finally laughs at her flustered friend, turning her attention to her boyfriend who's now cradling Jax to his chest and letting the pup paw at his chin. Mentally groaning, the blonde turns to glare at Clint and Bonnie. "If I lose any more precious time with my boyfriend, I will make the both of your lives hell."

Steve laughs and Pepper quickly snaps a picture of him smiling while cradling the pup. "Don't worry, Sweetheart. He might be adorable but I'm far more interested in you."

"Smooth, Cap. Real smooth," Tony drawls when Steve looks up from beneath his lashes at his girlfriend.

Giving Jax one last scratch behind the ear, Steve turns and reaches over to plop the pup on Bucky's lap. Everyone watches warily, they all knowing about Caroline and Bonnie's attempt to soothe some of Bucky's tension by bringing Jax to the tower.

Curiously, Jax stares up at Bucky and Bucky stares down at Jax. The pup cautiously sniffs at Bucky's hands were they're clasped across his abdomen- the metal hand receiving a tentative lick and his flesh hand receiving a playful nip. And with the corner of Bucky's lips twitching in amusement, everyone seems to let out a collective sigh of relief.

"You guys are horrible people if you thought I'd hurt an animal as tiny as this," he rumbles. "For being a bunch of superheroes, spies, vampires, and a witch, you're all horrible at keeping your voices down." As Jax starts wagging his tail, the pup courageously walks over Bucky's hands to walk all over his chest before licking stubble covered cheeks. And when he's had enough, the pup makes a small circle before settling down on Bucky's chest. "He's a bit small and I'm afraid I might step on him, but it's a start."

And with that, Bucky moves his hands so that his fingers are able to trail up and down the pup's spine while sinking further into his seat, and waits for Natasha to restart their show.

* * *

**I hope you guys didn't forget I have a polyvore account that I sometimes make sets with to go along with these stories. Head on over and you'll see a set for this chapter. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Lucky you! You get this chapter a day early since my birthday is tomorrow and I'll be lazing about instead of being on the laptop. **

**Happy Mother's Day to any mommy that reads this! **

**And don't forget to check polyvore. There's another set for this chapter.**

* * *

Caroline waits patiently inside the elevator as JARVIS takes her up to Tony and Pepper's penthouse, a StarkPad in hand as she flicks back and forth through the documents that need Tony's signature if he wants his latest party to go off without a hitch. It's mostly documents to secure their chosen caterers and decorators, but there are also a few styles of various invitations that she needs Tony and Pepper to choose from so she can print them out to mail them. And normally Caroline would have sought Tony out in his labs but since it's well after the end of the work day, Pepper had somehow managed to get her boyfriend to join her in their own living quarters by some form of persuasion that Caroline doesn't even want to spend another moment thinking about.

This is one of the rare times that she's been invited into the pent house so when the elevators finally open, Caroline kicks off her heels and leaves them in the corner of the elevator. After all, if anyone stooped so low as to steal her shoes, well then that's why security cameras were invented.

Caroline finds the couple standing before the window overlooking the New York skyline, both dressed down to comfortable t-shirts, jean shorts for Pepper and cotton pants for Tony, and both with bare feet. They're sipping from flutes of champagne, Pepper's head leaning on Tony's shoulder as they laugh quietly about something.

"Aw, aren't you two adorable," Caroline coos.

Both turn, not at all startled by the vampire's appearance, and Pepper waves her over with a smile. "Hey, Caroline, would you like a drink?"

"Um, sure. Fair warning, though, I might chug it. I only have a few documents for Tony to sign and then I'm out of your hair."

"That's fine." Pepper untangles from Tony, walking over to their bar where the champagne sits in a bucket of ice, and Caroline walks up to Tony to show him what he needs to sign and where on the StarkPad. "You working after hours to finish all this up today?"

"Yeah. It's really not much work," Caroline shrugs, placing the StarkPad on the nearest flat surface since Tony didn't take things handed to him unless it was from Pepper. "I'll just have to send off the documents to their respective owners and send off the chosen invitation to be printed once I have Tony's permission."

Pepper hums, pouring the bubbly drink into yet another flute before making her way towards Caroline. And instead of Tony just signing away on the documents, he's actually taking the time to skim through the details.

"Uh, Little Bit, who did we choose for music?"

"No one." She takes a sip of her beverage instead of chugging like she intended, then gives Tony her full attention. "The party takes place on three floors of the tower so I thought it was pointless to have only one floor with live music or a dee-jay. So instead, I'm compiling a list of everyone's favorite songs to have JARVIS play."

Looking horrified, Tony gasps, "You didn't?!"

"I did." Caroline takes yet another sip of her drink, humming at the taste. "There's already part of the list in your email. Clint went overboard with the country tunes so Natasha and I cut out the most outrageous songs, and kept the more appropriate ones."

"At least tell me there are some decent rock tunes on that list?"

"Maybe," she grins coyly. "Just tweak the list and send it back to me- same goes for you, Pepper- and Natasha will help me decide on what stays and what goes."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Tony quickly signs the virtual documents with a flourish, pursing his lips in contemplation as he flicks back and forth what Caroline guesses are the invitations. "Ugh, I don't care what the invites look like. Pep, you do this."

Rolling her eyes in good humor, Pepper quickly downs her champagne just as Caroline does the same, the CEO then taking the StarkPad from her boyfriend to choose what invites were to be printed. "Hmm," she hums. "-so the dress code is classy yet fun and flirty, correct?"

"Yep," both Tony and Caroline answer.

"Okay, so that knocks this one, this one, and.. this one out of the running," Pepper mumbles.

As Pepper makes her decision, Tony sidles up to Caroline. "So you inviting the peeps from Mystic Falls and New Orleans to come out for the big day?"

"I figured I should," Caroline answers. "But anyone from Mystic Falls won't be attending. Turns out, Alaric knocked up his girlfriend and the wedding just so happens to be on the same day of our event. Elena's in charge of the baby shower and bachelorette party, Damon is Alaric's best man, and everyone else is pretty much involved in the wedding somehow."

"Well, that blows."

"It's fine," the vampire shrugs. "Elena's assured me that she and Damon will be mailing in their donation towards the charity, and Alaric and Jo- the girlfriend- sent a check already that's just waiting to be deposited."

"Well that's sweet of them," Pepper pipes up, having been paying attention to Caroline as she made the invitation decision. "Will you be attending the baby shower or bachelorette party?"

"Sadly, no. The parties are back-to-back just two days before the wedding and I'll be busy here."

"Caroline, if you want-"

"No. It's totally fine," Caroline assures Pepper, taking the StarkPad back and tucking it beneath her arm. "I've already started looking online for gifts. I figured since Alaric's quite the fanboy, I'll send the baby Cap-Bear and Bucky-Bear, as well as a few Avenger related items to decorate the baby's room."

"Ohhh," Tony's eyes light up. "Take my card and get _everything _Iron Man related that you can find, and tell them it's from me."

"Obviously," Caroline rolls her eyes with a laugh.

"And if they're registered anywhere, get me a list of the things no one has gotten the happy couple, and I'll check a few items off it from Tony and I."

"You guys, you don't have to."

"But we want to," Pepper assures her. "Now send me the list before the end of the day so I can get a head start on online shopping."

Just as Caroline starts chuckling at Pepper's kindness, JARVIS' posh voice interrupts them.

_"Sir, you have an incoming call from Director Coulson."_

"After hours, J. Tell him to call back in the morning."

A few seconds pass and then, _"The Director assures me the situation is quite urgent."_

Caroline and Pepper slowly lose their amusement, both ladies gulping and turning their attention to Tony. "Fine. Put him on speaker."

It takes a few more seconds and then the voice penetrating the air belongs to one Director Coulson. _"Mr. Stark, I apologize for any inconveniences-"_

"It's fine, Agent. Or do I call you Director now? I think I'm gonna stick with Agent."

_"It's- it's fine. Whatever you want." _Tony immediately loses what little amusement that kept him nonchalant, worried eyes seeking out an even more worried Pepper and Caroline. That was so unlike Phil Coulson.

"Phil?" Pepper timidly calls out. "What's happened?"

There's an audible sigh and then, _"I need a favor. Something's.. happened and I need someone from my team to be looked after. The Avengers- the technology that Stark and Banner work with- could aide my agent in ways that we can't."_

"What agent, Phil?"

_"..it's Skye."_

Caroline's eyes widen in fear but Tony's quick to answer. "Yeah, sure. The little agent can bunk down with us."

_"Don't give me an answer yet," _Coulson then surprises them by saying. _"Just tell me you'll think about it. What happened, down in Puerto Rico, it- it didn't end well. I'll be by the tower tomorrow with more details but I'm afraid the entire team is going to be needed to make the final decision after you hear the details."_

"Director?" Caroline weakly calls out. "It's Caroline. Just- please, tell me Skye's alive and well?"

_"She's alive, Miss Forbes, but she's not in the greatest of mind sets, I'm afraid."_

Caroline's features crumple with worry and Pepper's quick to fling an arm around Caroline's shoulders, and tucks the younger girl into her side. "Be here by ten in the morning, Phil. We'll be waiting."

* * *

Come morning, all residents of the tower are up in the penthouse and waiting for Coulson to show up. Caroline had been tasked with informing everyone of the impending meeting the following morning, and no one really knew what to think of Coulson's favor. What could have possibly gone wrong that they're dropping off one of their teammates at the tower?

Stefan and Natasha are tucked away in the kitchen- Natasha perched on the counter as Stefan works making lunch for everyone, he finally letting them taste his family recipe of spaghetti sauce and pasta. Pepper and Bonnie are perched on stools at the bar, keeping an eye on Tony as he mixes himself up a drink in his anxiousness.

Steve and Caroline are huddled closely on the couch, Caroline tucked closely in Steve's side as he occasionally reminds her that everything's going to be fine. And below them on the ground, Clint and Bucky sit a good few feet away from one another as they roll a ball back and forth for Jax to chase.

JARVIS soon alerts them to an incoming quinjet, everyone tensing and turning to look out window wall as said quinjet lands on the elevated landing pad. Director Coulson and Agent May are seen first coming off the ramp, Skye and an unknown blonde coming next.

Clint groans when he sees said blonde and Natasha snorts as she tells them that the new agent is Bobbi Morse- also known as Mockingbird and Clint's ex-wife. Tony and Bucky poke fun at Clint in the time it takes for Coulson and his team to take the steps down to the penthouse while Caroline itches to run to Skye seeing as how the girl is barely holding herself together.

Everyone congregates towards the middle of the room except for Bucky, Stefan, and Bonnie who stay back and divide their attention between Jax and the newcomers. Agents May and Morse tense upon seeing the Winter Soldier but eventually give their attention back to Skye and the Avengers.

"Director. Agents," Tony greets as the pretty blonde agent settles Skye down onto a stool by the bar. "Care to finally explain what's going on?"

Agent May looks stoic as usual, agent Morse keeps sending pity-filled glances towards a clearly shaken Skye, and Coulson looks.. tired.

"Straight to the point, I see," Coulson sighs. Unbuttoning his suit jacket, Phil takes a seat himself two down from Skye. "As most of you can recall from our first visit here, I told you about a serum that Fury used to resurrect me."

"GH-325." Natasha nods, crossing her arms over her chest. "We recall."

"Right." Coulson's lips twitch into a frown. "But what I didn't tell you were the side effects that came along with it." Everyone seems to perk up at that new piece of information and Coulson fights the urge to shrink under their stares. "The serum- the alien dna- gave me odd boughts of visions, I guess you could say. It showed me- it showed me it's alien language and I felt compelled to carve the language into any and every available surface I could find."

"Only, it wasn't a language," agent May picks up. "It was a map that led us to an underground alien city."

"I'm sorry," Tony scoffs. "-did you just say an _underground alien city_?!"

Slightly fidgeting, Coulson nods. "We weren't the only ones on the hunt for the alien city. Hydra was, too, as was Skye's biological father."

All gazes dart to Skye and Caroline can now pick up Skye's very audible heartbeat picking up speed.

"As it turns out," Coulson continues. "Skye has her very own alien dna. Her father was obsessed with Skye obtaining her destiny but she wanted nothing to do with him."

Heartbeat picking up even more speed, Skye's breathing starts coming faster as well.

"We were on a mission to blow the underground city before another female- Raina- took the obelisk that Hydra had in their possession and let loose a mist that would transform anyone and everyone with their same dna."

"From the look of your agents, Director, it seems you should have called in reinforcements." Steve stares disappointingly at Coulson and the Director can only nod back solemnly.

"I know. We went in unprepared and our whole mission went.. awry. Not only did Raina end up with the obelisk in the city but Skye followed her down there as well as agent Triplet." Skye's breathing stutters audibly and everyone feels pity for the girl who can't meet anyone's gaze as silent tears start to fall. "We tried to follow in the tunnels but agents Ward and Mack were possessed by something ancient, and kept us from reaching the girls. Raina released the mist and agent Triplet destroyed the obelisk before it could spread out of the room. Only in return, we lost agent Triplet and Skye came out.. different."

Skye cringes at the word, shrinking in on herself and moves out of agent Morse's touch.

"Different? What do you mean by different?" Natasha frowns. "She looks the same."

"It's my fault," they hear Skye mutter. "I shouldn't have gone down there. I should have stayed upstairs."

"Hey. Hey, none of that," agent Morse finally speaks. "What did I tell you before, Skye? You're a rock star. When your boyfriend was possessed, you put four bullets in his chest to make sure you didn't lose sights of Raina. Most people wouldn't be able to harm their significant other like you did. You did good."

"You shot Grant?!" Caroline nearly shouts and Skye flinches.

"He had on a bullet proof vest," agent May sighs. "He was only sore afterwards."

"Oh. Of course. I didn't think about that." Feeling guilty for making her friend feel bad, Caroline takes a few steps closer. "But your friend is right, you know? If I had been in your position, I wouldn't be able to hurt Steve. I would have failed."

"I did fail!" Skye finally raises her voice, brows pulled together as if she were in a bit of pain and eyes filled with tears. "I got Trip killed because I defied orders. It's all my fault!"

The liquor bottles behind the bar start rattling and clinking against each other, and the whole team is on immediate alert. Coulson and May immediately turn to Skye, as do Stefan and Caroline when they realize that Skye's heartbeat is too fast for a normal human.

"Skye.. Skye, it's okay," agent Morse tries soothing but Skye ducks out of reach again and stands on her own two feet.

"I- I can't. I can't," she whimpers. Hands clench at her sides and Skye sobs as the floor beneath their feet starts trembling as well. "I can't- I don't-"

"Skye! Calm down," Coulson orders though not too menacingly.

"She's doing this?!" Clint yelps and gathers up Jax in his arms.

Skye cringes yet again and everyone takes a few steps back as the rattling glass bottles get even louder. From one second to the next, Skye's emotions get the best of her and then her head snaps up to attention as the liquor bottles and mirror wall behind the shelves explode into a million pieces.

Everyone cowers, covering their faces as the pieces of glass and mirror fly out towards them. The room goes deathly silent and Skye whimpers. "I'm s-sorry. I'm sorry! I didn't mean-"

Stefan grunts and everyone whirls around only to find a glaring Bucky struggling to get free from Stefan's grasp. Bonnie turns frantic eyes to Clint and with a terse nod from the archer, Bonnie then settles her attention on Bucky whose sags in some relief after a brief moment. But seeing as the Soldier is still lurking just beneath the surface, Stefan and Bonnie start pushing Bucky towards the elevator to get him away from Skye.

"We'll just- we'll be in the gym or.. somewhere." Bonnie attempts to smile. "While we are residents of the tower, the decision falls on Tony's shoulders. I'm sure Stefan will agree with me when I say that we'll back whatever decision you guys decide on."

No one speaks and a few of the team only manage to nod as they watch Bucky lose his cool. But luckily for them, he's allowed Bonnie to magically calm him when needed. And as soon as Bucky disappears into the elevator with the vampire and witch, all gazes turn back to Skye.

"Hey.. hey, look at me," Caroline speaks calmly as the floor lightly trembles. She shakes off Steve's grip on her hand and takes a few cautious steps forward. "No one blames you for anything. You don't have be scared of anything or anyone."

"This is what happened in Puerto Rico," Coulson sighs as Caroline inches closer to Skye. "We tried helping agent Skye but there's not much more we can do for her. We figured that since the Avengers have a few enhanced on the team, you'd be able to help her understand and control her ability since we can't."

"Bruce is away at the moment," Pepper speaks quietly. "But I'm sure- I'm sure he wouldn't mind coming back in."

The trembling gets stronger and Caroline finally reaches Skye, lightly gripping the girl's forearms and forcing the agent to look her in the eyes. "Tell me right now; do you want me to compel you to calm down? Tony's tower is not completely safe from whatever it is you're doing and I'm pretty sure your team ran out of vervain a while back, but I need your direct permission."

"P-please!"

Caroline tries giving Skye an encouraging smile, her hands raising until she's lightly gripping Skye's cheeks in her palms. Letting her pupils dilate, Caroline catches her friend's gaze. "Calm down," she orders and feels the immediate effect as the ground stops trembling while ignoring agent May's assurance to Morse that everything's fine. "You're safe, Skye. No one here is blaming you for anything."

The tension drains from Skye though she still looks every bit of guilty and sheepish, and the group start to relax once Skye's back under control.

"If you don't wish to keep Skye here, we'll understand," agent May says solemnly.

"Just- just give us a moment," Tony replies. He gestures for his tower mates to gather around a good few feet away from Coulson and his team even though Caroline stays by Skye's side, and it only takes one look at everyone's pitying expression to know his answer. "We're getting a new resident, aren't we?" He then sighs.

"She does have the potential to be very dangerous," Steve frowns and Natasha nods in agreement. "But she's also a friend of ours. If Coulson thinks we can help her, I say we give it a go."

"And if things get out of control, we do have Stefan and Caroline," Clint remarks. "Not to mention Bonnie who can work her magic and keep Skye calm."

Tony nods along with his teammate but the answer he's most interested in is Pepper's. "Pep?"

"Well," she mumbles, biting her bottom lip. "Both Steve and Clint make good points."

"But..?" Tony drawls.

"But does she want to be here?" Pepper finally says. "I mean, look at her. The girl is terrified and her team is practically giving her away after poking and prodding her. And for what? You and Bruce are going to end up doing the same."

Tony clicks his tongue a few times against the roof of his mouth, taking in the fact that no one is truly against Skye staying- it just seems like they're just more worried about her feelings- and comes to his decision. Turning around, Tony marches back over to Skye though he keeps his distance as to not spook her. "Do you wanna be here, kid?" he asks her. "You're welcome to stay if you _want _to stay."

"I- I want to control this," Skye quietly admits. "I don't want to put my team in danger so if staying here will help me, I'll stay."

"Excellent. You're staying then." Then turning to Coulson, he says, "We'll help her."

The Director, and agents May and Morse seem to sag in relief, the group then deciding to take their leave seeing as Skye still seems effected by her outburst minutes before. Though after the awkward goodbye's and promises to keep in touch, Caroline tells Coulson to linger up on the landing pad and she'll send someone out with a batch of vervain for he and his team.

Coulson thanks Caroline, and then he and his two agents take their leave to go wait by the quinjet where Natasha meets them to drop off their vervain.

Clint and Natasha then get to work on cleaning up the glass and pieces of mirror while Tony, Pepper, and Caroline lead Skye to take a seat on the couches, and Steve leaves to go check on Bucky. Caroline is the only one to stick close to Skye, slinging an arm around her friend's shoulders and holding her close.

"So," Tony breaks the silence. "-I guess we should work out your sleeping arrangements. Do you have a floor preference?"

Startled, Skye's brows knit together. "What?"

"Floor preference," Tony shrugs. "I'm not gonna situate you on the visitor floor all on your lonesome. There's an extra apartment on Thor and Bruce's floor, and an extra on Caroline, Steve, and Bucky's floor."

"No cage? No quarantine?"

Caroline tenses at her friend's words, Pepper gasps though her hand is quick to fly up and cover her mouth even as she looks horrified, and Tony's gaze darkens as his jaw clenches. "You're not an animal," he manages to say, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "You're not contagious. However, all I ask is that if you ever feel like you're losing control and no vampire or witch is around to calm you, I ask that you take immediate shelter in the nearest hulk proof room. There's one up here on the upper levels but the most secure and stable hulk room is right above the underground parking lot."

Skye's eyes are filled with tears but they don't fall. "T-that's understandable but I- I'm pretty sure the Soldier will kill me if he sets sights on me."

"He won't," Caroline squeezes her shoulders in assurance. "He was just startled, is all. He'll understand that you're not purposely doing this."

Looking to Caroline to make sure that she's being honest with her, Skye eventually nods. "Then sure. I'd like to be close to Caroline if that's possible?"

"Of course it is, sweetie," Pepper finally smiles before standing. "I'll just- I'll go get the apartment set up."

As Pepper takes her leave, Tony then settles his attention on Skye with a tired sigh. "Bruce is the one who does most of the blood testing around here but since he's in Kolkata, it'll be a few days for him to get back here."

"It's fine," Skye murmurs.

"But until then, I can run a few scans. It won't take much and it'll only be a few hours just so we can get a head start on figuring out just exactly what's changed." Skye nods and Tony offers her a tight grin. "Awesome, so uh, I'll just go get things settled up in the labs. Just- just follow Caroline around for the time being. You'll be granted access to pretty much the same floors she has, anyway."

Once Skye knows all she needs to know, Tony starts to take his own leave. But before he can get too far, Caroline calls out to him. "We had an.. exciting few minutes earlier," she says. "Do you think the scans can hold off until later today? I'd like to get Skye settled in and comfortable before you start throwing scientific terms at her."

Skye cracks a small smile and Tony agrees to Caroline terms. "Fine. Bring food up when you come in."

Caroline scoffs but ends up agreeing, she then looking towards Skye. "Come on. The bathtubs in the personal apartments are to die for. You can come soak in mine and Steve's until your limbs feel like jelly."

**xXx**

Down in Tony's lab, Skye watches with rapt attention as Tony finishes devouring pasta and some type of panini. Her hair falls in a wavy curtain around her face, and her arms cross over her chest as if she's trying to keep herself together. Caroline's plan, in her opinion, had done wonders to calm her after the blonde vampire lifted the compulsion. However, that could have been the weird leaves and sticks that the dark-skinned witch stopped by to deliver and dropped in the water. Whatever it was, though, she wasn't complaining.

Skye had been permitted to soak for however long she wished and then Caroline offered her some socks, black cotton workout pants, and a gray two-in-one tank top that also had off the shoulder long sleeves.

"Okay," Tony starts, startling Skye out of her thoughts. "This is what's gonna happen." As he nears her, Skye catches Caroline's eye roll at her boss' back but then offers her a reassuring smile. "I'm just gonna hook you up to monitor your heartbeat and brainwaves." A cuff gets clamped around a wrist, a tiny finger monitor dangling from it before that, too, is clamped to a finger. Another cuff is secured around her bicep and a few wireless sticky pads are stuck to her temples. "Bruce is the one who is more adapt in reviewing blood samples so he'll do that when he gets in."

"Got it." Tony hums as he scurries back to his screens, typing on a flat surface while whistling. "So is this it?" Skye wonders. "I'm just gonna sit here while you play on your computers?"

"Hmm? Oh, no." Tony snorts. "I need to slightly rile you up for a mini earthquake or whatever it is you do."

"W-what?!"

"I need to see the difference between your regular vitals and your not so normal vitals."

"But that's dangerous!" Skye yelps. "I won't know how to make it stop- it never stops," she tells him in a rush in hopes he sees just how dangerous that idea is. "It's like- it's like a million bees buzzing within me. It never goes away and once I start, there's no containing it." Tony stares blankly and Caroline is slowly climbing to her feet, worriedly. "It's why I'm here! I tried to breathe through it- tried making it stop- but it only hurt me in the end."

"Tony?" Caroline frowns. "Maybe you should listen to her. Her heartbeat is starting-"

Skye flinches and the lights flicker, and both Tony and Caroline freeze. Instruments and tools around Tony's lab start rattling, and Tony immediately goes back to his screens while Caroline walks towards Skye. But before Caroline can say anything, Skye gasps and the lights above her shatter and sparks rain down.

Taking a stuttering breath, Skye slowly stands taller. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"That's a really neat trick, kid. I was hoping for something but I totally didn't expect it so soon."

"Tony!" Caroline whirls on him and the scientist feigns innocence. "I'm so telling Pepper on you."

* * *

After a few calming days and dressed in the same outfit Caroline supplied her with on her first day as an official resident of the tower, Skye smirks victoriously down at Clint who's sprawled on his back in the middle of the gym. Caroline, Bonnie, and Tony whoop in cheer, and Steve, Bucky, Stefan, and Natasha laugh at Clint's unfortunate ass kicking.

"Who trained you?" Clint groans, finally rolling onto his side.

"Ward was my S.O," she says and her smirk falters just the slightest but she manages to pushe on anyway. "-but when things got romantic between us, May took over my training."

"The Calvary?! What are you doing fightin' me then? Fight Nat. She's more your style."

"Come on, Barton, take it like a man!" Tony teases.

Steve sidles up to Caroline as Skye helps Clint back to his feet, and when he catches his girlfriend's attention, she beams up at him and purses her lips for a chaste kiss when he leans down. "Mmm, hi."

"Hey," he grins. "What are you doing down here? We just stumbled in when Skye rolled Barton over her back."

"Skye mentioned that sparring keeps her centered. Clint overheard and wanted to help."

"So you're just sparring? You're not testing Skye's limits with her powers?"

Caroline groans, her palm meeting her forehead. "You just jinxed it."

"I just- what?" he laughs.

"You just jinx-"

"Hey, Skye," Clint calls out. "-have you figured out yet how to control a bit of your power to aide you in a fight?"

"See?" Caroline groans again. "Jinxed it. We were doing fine with just sparring until you mentioned testing Skye's abilities."

"Sorry," he chuckles.

Turning back towards Skye, they see how uncomfortable she seems at the thought of using her ability in a fight. "But come on, think about it," Clint continues. "In the short time you've been here, we've figured out you can tap into- objects frequencies, I guess you can say- and make things shake really violently. We're pretty sure that if you concentrate just enough, you can hone in on a certain frequency or whatever and only _quake _that one thing instead of your entire surroundings."

Chewing on her lower lip, Skye shrugs. "I- I dunno. I haven't really- I haven't tested my ability like that yet. I wouldn't know how-"

"What about a surprise attack?" Natasha plows right on over Skye's voice. "In some cases, if one is surprised just enough then the mind takes over and work's on protecting it's being. Maybe if we surprise you.." she then trails off, gaze travelling to Stefan as a thought hits her. "You know what? Hold on."

Everyone watches as Natasha starts having a hushed conversation with her lover- she refuses to call him a boyfriend- and Caroline easily hears Natasha explain that if Skye has a vampire going at her then maybe that will shock her just enough for her subconscious to kick in and guide Skye to do what needs to be done. Stefan thinks it might work but as his gaze wanders and finds Caroline, the blonde nods once with an eye roll.

"If that's the plan, we're doing this together. There's no use in terrifying the poor girl with your ugly face."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Steve asks but when he sees that she's staring at a smirking Stefan, he lets it go.

Caroline grumbles and starts peeling off her work blazer. "You're lucky I wore shorts today."

The phone comes out of one of her short pockets and everything gets handed over to Steve. As Stefan starts sauntering towards the middle of the gym and pushes up the sleeves to his henley, Caroline hurries to meet him without using her vampire speed.

Everyone watches as the two vampires meet, and then Caroline's calling out to Clint. "Barton, get off the mats. It's our turn."

Clint's expression turns gleeful when he spots Caroline and Stefan standing side by side, and the archer scurries to join Tony on the sidelines.

"What's going on?" Skye mumbles, gaze darting between the two vampires.

"Natasha's right," Caroline informs her. "We're going to find out if your powers take over when threatened."

"How, though? I don't usually find my friends threatening."

"Then picture this," Caroline grins a feral grin and Skye's eyes widen at the sudden intimidating aura her friend's giving off. "Stefan and I have turned off our humanities. We're blood thirsty and we don't care who we have to kill to sate our thirst. We're faster than you, we're stronger than you, we can smell your fear, and the _th-thump th-thump th-thump _of your heart is leading us right to your location."

"That's actually terrifying," the two vampires hear Tony mutter. "Are you scared? I'm a bit scared right now."

Skye looks unsure now, her gaze ping ponging between Caroline and Stefan as they slowly start inching away from one another. Caroline's amused grin falls and her whole demeanor turns malicious, and Stefan's resting face was always naturally unfriendly. At least, in Skye's opinion it was. And now that black veins are slithering to the surface under his eyes and his lips part just so with a hint of fang on display, he's even more terrifying.

Caroline's next, letting her vampire visage bleed to the surface with an intimidating hiss and flash of sharp fangs. She and Stefan blur from one side of the gym to the other, keeping Skye at a distance but gradually getting closer and closer.

Skye takes a step back, fear swelling as one foot shifts in front of the other so her body's slightly angled to the side. One moment, Caroline's standing to the right and the next, she's gone. Skye's heartbeat starts picking up speed and then something's knocking hard into her shoulder to send her stumbling a few steps back. And when she finally regains her balance, she finds Caroline back at Stefan's side.

"Come on, Skye, show us what you got." Stefan taunts.

Skye tries her best to narrow her eyes and seem brave as she puffs herself up but the second both vampires disappear from her line of sight, her whole form tenses and she whirls around in a circle to find them. Not even the bystanders know where the vampires disappeared off to and when Skye's back facing her original direction with her breathing accelerated, Stefan and Caroline appear only a couple feet in front of her with simultaneous snarls and hisses.

Skye jumps in fear, one hand raising as if it has a mind of it's own, and Caroline and Stefan- _only _Caroline and Stefan- go flying back by an unseen force. Caroline lands on her left arm at least ten feet away, rolling until she stops with a groan, and Stefan lands flat on his back before his head smacks the ground with a deafening _crack!_

"Fuck," Stefan breathes out harshly, eyes clenched tight and rolls to his side and into the fetal position.

Steve, Natasha, and Bonnie rush to the two vampires' side while Tony, Clint, and Bucky continue to stare in awe.

Horrified, Skye looks down at her hand before clenching it tight in a fist and lowering it by her thigh. "I-I'm sorry! I don't know what-"

"Wow," Tony cheers, clapping. "That is some power you got there, kid."

"Holy shit. That looked amazing." Clint agrees.

Skye is still shaking her head, eyes filled fear at what she just did. And when she meets Caroline's gaze, she doesn't know what to think anymore. The blonde vampire is grinning- she's _laughing!- _and poking fun at a now equally amused Stefan. "Skye," Caroline calls out. "-it's fine. We're okay. There's no need to look so freaked out."

"But I- and you- Stefan's head!" She babbles as the vampires finally climb to their feet.

"Totally fine," he assures her. "There was a reason why we agreed so easily to test you. We're vampires; we heal."

"Exactly," Caroline agrees. "But if you don't mind, what exactly did you do? I mean, we didn't just go flying," she says. "It was like.. every bone in our body vibrated. My insides still feel like they're trembling. It's weird."

Skye opens her mouth to respond but Tony beats her to it. "Dammit! We're gonna have to do this again. I need readings of Skye's vitals for when she's on the defensive."

"Uhh.."

"It's fine," Caroline says, keeping her gaze on her friend who looks uncertain. "But we'll only give it another shot if Skye wants to try it. We're not going to force her into anything."

"Seriously," Skye scoffs, incredulously. "You're really going to put yourself in danger again?"

"Why not?" Stefan shrugs. "I've got nothing else to do."

Feeling torn between not wanting to injure anyone and wanting to find out just what exactly she can do, Skye breathes out deeply and centers herself. "Whatever," she faintly muses. "I'm not the one going to end up on my ass every time Stark demands another go."

"Yes! Everyone stay here. I just need to make a quick trip to the labs."

More amused now, Skye watches as Tony Stark runs out of the gym to go retrieve the cuffs for her vitals.

* * *

**Okay, so one of my readers has asked if there was a plot to this story and to be completely honest, there's actually not. This story was only meant to be the events of CA: TWS with an added Caroline but then that would have only been 9 chapters. Bucky was never meant to be a part of this story other than that one scene by the Potomac, and neither was Bonnie and Skye. But since I didn't want a sequel that short, I started adding fluff, humor, and bumps in the road.**

**So from here on out, it's plotless fun and small incidents with minor altercations. I'm terribly sorry if you expected something more but it's just not happening.**

**And to be warned, there's only 6 chapters left so I can end this fic at 20. **


	15. Chapter 15

"Go."

"No."

"Steven."

"Caroline.."

Stomping her foot, Caroline's hands find purchase on her hips as she nearly growls at Steve. "Seriously?! You and Natasha have been planning this for weeks on the low down."

Narrowing his own eyes, Steve retorts with, "Then how do you know?"

"Because I'm a vampire! For being such geniuses, everyone tends to forget that vampires have heightened hearing. We hear _a lot._"

"Caroline," he finally sighs. "I'm not leaving you alone again. I told you that once I found Bucky, it'd be me and you again. I'm not going back on that promise."

"You're not," she assures him, letting her hands go limp at her sides before walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. "The most you'll be gone is a week and James needs this. He needs his freedom from the tower and the only way he'll be able to walk the streets without the government being sent in to collect him is if you and Natasha help clear his name."

"But-"

"No buts. Tony got you the best lawyers- his lawyers. Just go, meet with Sam, and tell the officials exactly what it is that James has been through. Hell, Natasha has the reports that are in Russian that details everything Hydra has put him through." Steve still looks uncertain and Caroline squeezes his waist. "It'll be fine. James will be a free man and once the public sees him doing some good with the Avengers, they'll rethink everything that happened in DC."

"Yeah? And what are you going to be doing here?" He caves.

"Don't know," she shrugs. "Bonnie's busy with school and on her off time she's going to start collecting herbs for her store. Stefan's going to be Bonnie's escort around the shady parts of the city and Clint's going to be keeping up with Skye's training. More than likely, I'll be busy working and when I'm not, I think Skye's well passed due for some one on one girl time."

"Hmm, really? Sounds better than what I'm going to be doing."

Caroline chuckles and pinches his side. "Whatever. You're going to help free your best friend. Get going, Soldier, and don't come back until James can walk the streets without worrying about getting the cops called on him."

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am."

* * *

On day three of Steve being away, Caroline finally has a day off to spend the entirety of it with Skye. Barton had did good by keeping Skye on her toes with training, as had Bonnie who didn't see a problem with showing Skye that witches weren't as bad as most people thought. But Caroline could see that Skye needed time with someone she knew on a more personal level. So after getting all caught up on Bucky's situation- Caroline was seriously going to have Natasha by her side if she ever ran into legal troubles because the redhead was scary when she got all political- Caroline planned a day of relaxation and Netflix.

Getting up bright and early, and planning to order in breakfast because she was too lazy to make it, Caroline dresses in a black muscle tank and denim shorts with blue striped ankle socks. Then exiting her living quarters, Caroline's shocked to find Skye exiting her own with a tired yawn. The brunette is also dressed for the day- her hair tied up in a messy bun, a two-in-one maroon skull shirt atop a black tank and black cut-off denim shorts with magenta zigzag ankle socks.

"Going somewhere?" Caroline slowly grins.

"Kitchen." Skye yawns again. "I forgot to order in groceries for my place."

"Perfect. Follow me." Caroline gestures for Skye to hurry up, she then linking their arms together while walking towards the elevator. "Today is all about you and me, and not moving our butts from the comfortable couch on the communal floor. Clint's going to be busy with Stefan and Bonnie while they're out and about."

"What about Tony? I don't wanna get comfortable only for Tony to drag me to the labs."

"Not a problem. Stark Industries had a meeting in the South building and Pepper made sure to drag Tony to it."

"Awesome." Skye sighs in relief, entering the elevator when it dings open for them. "So what's for breakfast then since you're whisking me away?"

"I'm thinking blood-"

"Ew."

"And something very greasy from whichever nearest establishment delivers."

"Mmm. Please tell me we're gonna veg out and marathon something?"

"Netflix, my friend. Netflix. Now come along and let us find a place to order in from."

**xXx**

The girls start off their morning watching _The Breakfast Club- _stuffing their faces with eggs, bacon, sausage, and hash browns. Skye drinks nearly half a jug of orange juice, and Caroline alternates between coffee and blood. And not even halfway through the movie, JARVIS alerts Caroline to Jax's distress down in agent Barton's quarters.

Skye coos sadly at the fact that Clint left Jax alone in the apartment, and the girls hurry to go retrieve the pup- who had finally warmed up the vampires of the tower- before taking him to the very spacious doggie park in the gym that was just large enough for Jax to run around on faux grass. Surprisingly, not only did Stark turn his very spacious office into a dog park, but he also built a small robot to clean up after the pup did his business.

Once Jax has relieved himself, the girls find themselves back on the common floor and ready to marathon F.R.I.E.N.D.S after ordering in pizza and drinking all of Clint's beer in the fridge.

One moment they're laughing and giggling at the shenanigans of Joey and Chandler, and the next Skye's trying to smile without her sudden sadness peeking through. Caroline lets the brunette get away with it for a few minutes but after the second sigh, the blonde pauses the show. "Alright, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Skye mumbles a little too quickly. And then a few seconds later.. "It's just, I was remembering that one time a prank war broke out on the BUS. Everyone was involved- including May. I miss them," she admits softly after a pause.

"Have you tried calling them? Surely they miss you, too."

"A.C, maybe. And probably Fitz." Skye shrugs, finally looking at her friend. "They were my team- my family- and the second my dna results showed signs of change, I was looked at differently. They tried- really, they did- but Trip's death just pushed Jemma over the line." A tear falls down Skye's cheek but she's quick to wipe it away. "Fitz was the first to find out I was different, you know. He helped me by switching out my blood results but the truth eventually came out. After that, it put a strain on the team and they couldn't treat me as they had before. If I wasn't being treated like glass, I was being treated as a possible threat."

"And Ward?" Caroline wonders. "Surely he wouldn't-"

"He did," Skye gives a watery chuckle. "He and Mack were sent down into the tunnels to scout before Raina had fled down there and I followed. Both were possessed by some ancient alien spirit or whatever, and they did a number on a few fellow agents who tried to follow Raina and I. Ward was distant as he tried to come to terms to what had happened to him but when he found out that I exactly wasn't human anymore, that was the last straw for him. Our team dynamic was just not what it used to be."

"I'm sorry but that's complete bullshit," Caroline explains. Skye looks startled for a split second and then her expression turns curious. "You're the same Skye that I first met when your team brought you in on a stretcher. Sure, you cause epic vibrations now when you concentrate, but you're the same person that I met so long ago. You're not some evil villain that's set out to conquer world."

"Yeah, well, try telling that to my old team."

Skye sighs sadly and then turns back to the flat screen TV, wordlessly letting Caroline know that she was ready to continue their marathon. "You know what?" Caroline says though. "Screw what they think of you now. We have an event coming up and you're attending with us. With me."

"W-what?"

"No objections," the vampire states. "Bonnie needs a dress, anyway, and I'm assuming you do, too. We'll make a day out of it and let photographers snap pictures of us having fun that night. We'll show your old team just how idiotic they were to think that you're a liability or a threat."

"A-are you sure?" Skye actually looks to be entertaining the idea and Caroline brightens.

"Of course. You might not have total control but you're getting there. Bruce will be back before the event, and what Stark and Natasha couldn't teach you, I'm sure Banner can."

After what seems like hours, Skye cracks an impish grin and Caroline restarts their marathon once more.

* * *

When Caroline gets word that Bucky's officially a free man from Steve- the government won't be punishing him for any crimes he did while under Hydra's control, Steve and Natasha made damn sure about it- and that they'd be back home the following day with Sam in tow, Caroline figures a small celebration is in order. Nothing big that's going to make the man in question uncomfortable, but just lots of food to keep everyone sated as they gather for a group meal and be happy that Bucky doesn't have to hide anymore. Well, at least not from the US government. Hydra, however, was an entirely different story but hopefully none of them had to worry just yet about the nazi assholes.

Pepper agreed that getting together for a meal was do-able, and Bonnie was recruited to bake all sorts of sweets. And since Caroline and Skye's cooking abilities were limited, they settled for ordering in food from various establishments and created quite the smorgasbord of food.

Pepper worked, Tony tinkered, and Clint and Stefan occupied themselves with Jax until Steve, Bucky, Natasha, and Sam returned to the tower. Of course, while the baking was being done, there were impromptu dance breaks that Bonnie instigated though she tried her very best to have JARVIS switch the song when _Uptown Funk _came on. Clint, however, raced to the kitchen and dragged Bonnie into dancing with him, not caring that he got flour all over himself as the witch caved and let the song play. Caroline and Skye had been in hysterics at the dance moves the two performed, JARVIS happily recording every bit of their performance and sending it to her phone.

JARVIS alerts them when the small group of Steve, Bucky, Natasha, and Sam are on their way up to the communal floor, and Caroline, Skye, Bonnie, and Clint get ready while Pepper, Tony, and Stefan just grin at their giddiness. Much to Tony's dismay, there were no party horns to be blown or a group effort of shouting _Congrats! _because no one wanted to startle the inner Soldier of Bucky, but there were handfuls of confetti waiting to be tossed once Bucky was near enough.

Natasha, Steve, and Bucky are immediately suspicious of the welcoming smiles and the hands behind the back from four of their friends, and Sam just smiles widely and waves at the newcomers. Bucky tries edging around the group but the confetti holders are having none of that and toss the confetti in the air before Bucky can get too far.

Looking very unimpressed, especially when Steve and Sam don't bother disguising their snorts of amusement, Bucky shakes out the confetti from his hair before making a beeline to the kitchen when Stefan had gestured him over.

Everyone's soon to follow their nose to the kitchen but Steve hangs back and flashes a knowing smile at Caroline. "You didn't have to do any of this."

"Of course, I did," she chuckles. Now standing chest to chest with her boyfriend, Caroline places her hands over Steve's pecs before sliding them up only to curve around the back of his neck where her fingers entwine. And as Steve's hands fall to Caroline's hips, Caroline smiles fondly. "James is one of us. His new found freedom deserves some sort of celebration."

"That he is." Leaning down, Steve brushes his lips against Caroline's in a tender kiss. Caroline hums and melts against him, and Steve lets his tongue peek out to tease her bottom lip. "Mmm, I missed this."

"You and me both," Caroline breathlessly murmurs. Her fingers move to grip clumps of Steve's hair, pressing her lips harsher in a more heated kiss. Tongues meet and teeth nip, and Steve groans.

"Wait. Wait," he pants a moment later and pulls back just enough to see her kiss swollen lips. "Later. We'll finish this later." Closing his eyes, Steve rests his forehead against Caroline's and works on controlling his breathing.

"Damn straight we are," she agrees. Hands releasing their hold on Steve's hair, Caroline smooths down what she's messed up and takes a step back. Making sure she looks presentable herself, Caroline winks and twirls on the tips of her tips. "Now come on. If you want some pasta, you're gonna have to duel Tony for it."

"Duel?" Steve's lips twitch in amusement as he follows after her.

"Duel. With forks," she sighs though the giggle afterward has Steve looking to where she's staring.

Tony's talking to Stefan and Pepper, he swatting Clint's fork away with his own every time the archer tries to reach in and spear some of the pasta that is too much for Tony to finish on his own. And the thing that makes the scene even more hilarious? Tony isn't even looking in Clint's direction yet he manages to hit the archer every single time- the archer who's scowling and pouting behind Stark's back, and sometimes rubbing the back of his hand before trying again.

* * *

The lady residents of Stark tower-

_Avengers tower!_

_Shutup, Tony! It's Stark tower._

\- along with Maria Hill who Pepper managed to drag up to pent house are having a _business _lunch when Bruce stumbles in sheepishly by Tony's side. Pepper, Maria, Natasha, and Caroline brightly greet Bruce- and only Bruce- even though Tony's the one to loudly announce his presence.

Bonnie and Skye offer up friendly smiles and wave to the fluffy haired scientist when his gaze sweeps over them, and Bruce returns the kind gestures with a smile and nod.

"Bruce," Pepper greets out loud then. "-I didn't know you were coming in today. How was your work? Sit. Join us for lunch. Not you, Tony."

Tony gasps in mock outrage and Bruce's lips twitch. "Work was fine, Pepper. The usual," he grins. "And while I'd love to join you ladies, I've had lunch already."

"Next time then?"

"Next time," he agrees, nervously wringing his hands together. "I was, uh, actually hoping lunch was done and over with so I could steal Skye away."

"Me?" Skye squeaks.

"Uh, yes," Bruce chuckles. "Tony was telling me you still have some tests to run and while taking blood isn't really a long task, I was hoping you'd also answer some questions I might have."

"O-oh. Yeah, of course."

As Skye stands, every woman around the gathered table starts bidding the petite brunette goodbye. She quickly finishes her ice cold water, bidding the women farewell as well and follows Bruce and Tony towards the elevator. When the doors open, Steve's inside and he's quick to step around the group waiting to get on.

"Lunch over already?" Steve asks Skye.

"Mostly," she grins. "The girls are gossiping but Doctor B needs to take my blood so off to the labs I go."

As Skye, Tony, and Bruce situate themselves inside the elevator, Steve nods in understanding. "Good luck."

"Thanks!"

The doors close and Steve turns to head towards the women he can hear chattering just around the corner. When he appears around the corner, Caroline's gaze is the first to snap to his and she brightens up at his appearance. And when everyone else realizes his presence, he chuckles.

"Sorry, ladies, but I'm stealing another one of you."

Gaze locked with Steve's, Caroline smirks. "Oh, really?"

"Really. Me and you, sweetheart. I've got a date set up so come on." Caroline perks up and Bonnie coos mockingly as Pepper giggles.

"An all day date?" the blonde vampire asks. "It's barely eleven thirty."

"It's a fun date," he shrugs, tucking his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. "So dress comfortably for a fun day out."

Caroline's staring suspiciously at her boyfriend though the grin lets everyone know she's game for whatever Steve has planned, and Bonnie reaches over to curl her fingers around Caroline's wrist. "Come on, Care, I'll help you pick out an outfit. And you," the witch gestures around the table to the remaining ladies. "-don't leave this room. I have presents for you."

"Um, presents?" Maria asks as Bonnie and Caroline stand. "For all of us?" While the dark skinned witch seemed nice enough, Maria never really spoke to her on the helicarrier unless it was for business.

"Uh, yeah," Bonnie scoffs. "After graduation, I'm opening up a shop and I have a few candles and lotions that I need you girls to sample for me. There's lavender, sweet pea, and sugar cookie candles as well as a newly developed one called Country Rain. But only test that one out if you've been in the country or suburbs and have smelt the atmosphere after a nice summer's storm. Clint gave me the idea," she then says to explain why she chose such a random smell.

"Interesting," Pepper hums. "And the lotions?"

"Coconut and vanilla."

"Well then," Maria slowly grins, sipping her drink. "I'll happily test whatever you give us."

Bonnie and Caroline laugh as they make their way to the elevator, Steve following slowly behind them after bidding everyone else farewell. He makes himself sparse as the girls head for the Rogers/Forbes living quarters and Bonnie's quick to rummage through Caroline's side of the closest.

In surprisingly record time, Bonnie's pulled together a lace cropped top, a black flared skater skirt, and black platform gladiator sandals. The witch then brushes out Caroline's hair and ties it back in a loosely over the shoulder braid, tendrils of hair opposite of the braid left loose to frame the vampire's face. Caroline's makeup is then redone and before she could step foot outside in the hall, Bonnie plops a black boater styled hat atop Caroline's head and the vampire doesn't even try to come up with how that hat ended up in her possession.

And when Steve sees Caroline all done up for their date, he can't help but whistle lowly at her approach. "Ready, doll?"

"As I'll ever be. Who's driving?"

"One of Stark's men. You and I get to relax before all the fun begins."

"Yeah, and just what fun do you have planned?"

"You'll have to wait and see."

The smug smirk is enough to melt Caroline and not even the audience of her best friend is enough to stop Caroline from slipping her boyfriend a little more tongue than the situation calls for.

"Okay, you teenagers, that's enough," Bonnie claps her together sharply. Steve and Caroline pull apart but just enough so Caroline could tuck herself into Steve's side with an arm around his waist. "Get out of here, have fun, make memories, and bring me back something sweet."

**xXx**

Steve's date, as it turns out, is one fun filled day at Coney Island.

Caroline had never been so one sparkly-eyed stare at all the attractions within sight was enough for Steve to finally sigh in relief and finally show his girlfriend one of the best parts of his childhood.

They spend a good while just walking around to take in their fill of what the Island has to offer- it's changed over the years and Steve's just as impressed as he was when he was younger- and Caroline mentally makes a list of what they're going to do first.

There's laughs, and kisses, and screams on roller coasters that Caroline extremely enjoys, and pictures being taken in booths. For a snack, they eat hot dogs at Nathan's Famous and the couple soon disappear from the public eye where Steve _makes _Caroline drink from him since he had forgotten to plan ahead on the blood thirsty vampire part.

With their stomachs full, the couple then stumble upon the Coney Island Museum which features artifacts and memorabilia about the amusement park, beach and neighborhood's history and culture, as well as changing exhibits of art and culture. Caroline had found the place quite endearing but it was Steve who was entirely amazed about the evolution of the Island. And while in the museum, Steve figures out that there's an aquarium- the New York Aquarium- and they eagerly head there. They spend a while staring at ocean life and holding hands, relishing in the feeling of being a couple outside of the tower before heading out.

However, before they can leave, Steve attempts a few games in which he wins Caroline a rather large stuffed animal. And it's only when the sun's finally falling from the sky does Steve's phone blare. Both he and Caroline tense because it's a specific ringtone, and when he reluctantly pulls the phone free from his pocket to see the screen flashing red with the white letters spelling out _Avengers Assemble_, he groans and turns an apologetic gaze on Caroline.

"Go," she assures him, squeezing the large purple dog in one arm as they come to an abrupt stop. "The world needs Captain America."

"A-are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure," she laughs. "Thank you for today," she then says. "We really needed this."

"That we did," he smiles in relief. "I'm just sorry it had to end with a world crisis."

"Yeah, well, now you have coming home to look forward to. I promise lots of sleep and massages. Now go."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckles. But before Steve can rush off to the extraction point Natasha sent him, he pulls Caroline in for a quick heated kiss. "Love you."

"Love you more. Now go kick some ass."

* * *

**Sorry for the slowness of this chapter =/ You should check polyvore for a chapter set :)**

**And I just want to take the time right now to thank all of you who are reviewing. Seriously, your reviews make my day and eager to finish the next chapters :)**


	16. Chapter 16

When Caroline finally gets back to the tower, the first thing she asks is where everyone is as she rushes into the elevator. JARVIS informs her that the group is congregated on the communal floor and watching the live coverage of the current situation. And when the elevator doors ping open on said floor, Caroline finds only four of her friends.

Pepper's sitting gracefully yet worriedly on one of the sofa chairs with her gaze glued to the TV, Bonnie's stress baking in the kitchen, Stefan's sitting on the edge of his seat with his elbows settled on his knees- his gaze, too, glued to the TV- and Skye's pacing worriedly behind the sofa as she chews nervously on her thumb nail.

"Is it that bad?" Caroline groans, clutching her large purple dog tighter. "What's happening?"

"We're not really sure," Pepper answers though her gaze never strays from the screen. "There's these reptilian-"

"Lizards?! Ew. Gross."

"-people," Pepper corrects. "They spent the longest time wreaking havoc down in the south- destroying vehicles and buildings- but the second law enforcement stepped in, a cloaked figured started attacking civilians. Tony sounded the alarm and the reptilians started to follow in what we think is their leader's footsteps."

"Well, that's not good."

"Nope," Stefan pops the 'p' before peering over his shoulder. Lips twitching, he offers up a brief grin. "Steve win that?"

Caroline nods once with a shrug. "Cheated is more like it. Super soldier with perfect aim playing a tossing game? Too easy if you ask me." Stefan snorts and turns back to the TV. "And speaking of super soldier, where's James? I figured he'd be glued to the TV, too."

Skye trips over her foot, catching herself before she falls and continues pacing. Narrowing her eyes as the brunette ignores meeting her gaze, Caroline stares at the back of Stefan's head until he sighs and turns around to answer. "Bucky suited up, if you must know. Just keep watching TV. They'll show up soon."

Stefan turns back around and no one says anything to contradict her friend's words. "You're joking, right?" Silence. Facial expression going lax, Caroline grips one of her purple dog's paw in one hand before swinging it at the back of Stefan's head. "Seriously?! The guy who's struggling to hold down the fort as James Barnes is going into battle? Whose bright idea was it to let him go?!"

"Don't shoot the messenger," Stefan grunts and Caroline whacks him again before tossing the stuffed animal onto the cushion next to him. "Steve didn't want him to go but Sam approved him for this mission. He said it was better to start off with non-Hydra operatives before jumping back in head first and risking a relapse where Hydra operatives could recapture him."

Mulling over his words, Caroline then hums in understanding. And peering over her shoulder, she finds Bonnie furiously whisking up something in a bowl. "What's Betty Crocker's deal?"

"Clint's on the jet," Bonnie mumbles distractedly before setting the bowl down and staring up at Caroline. "How are you so calm? Clint's only my friend and I'm a mess of nerves. Steve's your boyfriend and you're floating on goddamn cloud nine."

"They know what they're doing. If Steve gets knocked down and doesn't get back up, then I panic. Until then, I just hope for the best." Bonnie sighs and sags under pressure, she going back to whatever it is she's baking in the kitchen, and Caroline faces the TV once more. "So, who all left?"

"Everyone," Skye then mutters. "They all suited up including Bruce and Sam."

"Uh huh," Caroline purses her lips. "And why are you pacing a path in the carpet?"

"N-nothing in particular," Skye answers distractedly. "It's, uh, I can handle missions. If I'm on the team," she then clarifies. "But staying back makes me nervous for the them. I don't want anything to happen to them seeing as the threat are actually pretty good fighters."

"Yeah, well our guys are better," Pepper assures her. "Don't worry. They'll come back in one piece."

Caroline nods in agreement, reaching out to squeeze Skye's shoulder as she passes. Somewhat settled now, Skye finally walks around the sofa to take a seat and Caroline follows suit. And as the two girls try to calm themselves, they watch the utter chaos that's happening on screen.

Reptilian-like people are wrecking everything in sight, scaly arms striking out to grab civilians by their clothing or hair and tossing them into the nearest solid surface with hisses of glee. A cloaked figure runs to and fro, creating just as much chaos and sometimes hopping atop a vehicle just to watch the mayhem around it.

"God," Caroline groans. "-how long does it take for-" Iron Man zooms into view, landing and sliding before blasting one of the reptilian figures a good couple of yards away before taking to the sky once more. "Nevermind. The team's arrived."

The cameraman or woman pans over to a shot of Hawkeye and the Black Widow, the archer and ex-Russian keeping side-by-side as they fire off bullets and arrows. Steve's red, white, and blue shield gets tossed into the mix and soon enough, there's a shot of Captain America running and leaping over fallen debris. Sam swoops down from the sky, grabbing one of the reptilian creatures clinging to the side of a building and tossing him back into the middle of the street where the Winter Soldier- sans mask- catches him. With a few well placed punches from the Bucky's metal arm, the creature goes limp in the middle of the street.

"Where's Bruce?" Caroline wonders.

"Probably on the jet," Stefan says, tensing when Natasha and Clint separate resulting in Natasha being grabbed by a creature. The redheaded assassin relies on hand-to-hand combat once her gun is knocked from her hand and Stefan only sags in relief when Natasha puts down her opponent. "He mentioned that the Other Guy would only make an appearance if the situation was dire."

"Oh. Okay."

The reptilian creatures are being easily handled by the Avengers but it appears that they've forgotten about the cloaked figure. Well, at least it seems like they've forgotten about it until it's sneaking up on Hawkeye who's too busy taking aiming with his bow. Luckily for the viewers at home, the cameraman or woman goes for the more dramatic shot and focuses on Hawkeye and the enemy.

Bonnie's sharp intake of breath makes everyone else tense, Bonnie then choking back her cry when a clawed hand reaches high up and slashes down across Hawkeye's back. The archer falls forward into a roll, Iron Man landing between him and the cloaked figure before firing off with his palm's thrusters. As the figure goes flying back, Clint sags against the ground and salutes Tony with a wry grin before letting himself be helped up to face down the creature who harmed him.

As Tony and Clint stride towards the cloaked figure, the camera zooms out to get a better angle. The cloaked figure rushes to stand, hands flailing before ripping off the cloak, and sneering at Iron Man and Hawkeye. Skye gasps at what she sees but no one else knows what to think of discolored woman who appears to be covered in thorns.

"What.. is that?" Bonnie asks, watching as the creature lunges at Hawkeye but is easily diverted by Iron Man.

"Raina. It's Raina," Skye murmurs. Stefan, Caroline, Pepper, and Bonnie all turn to stare at the clearly shocked Skye, the brunette's features slowly shifting into that of anger. "It's Raina," she says again, voice hard.

They're all speechless, Coulson having told them about the girl that lured Skye down into the alien city before Caroline filled in Stefan and Bonnie, and are only spurred into action when a bottle of wine sitting on the coffee table in front of Pepper shatters.

Everyone flinches as shards of glass go flying, Stefan immediately standing to his feet a second later and using his vampire speed to get Pepper out of the way. Bonnie stumbles back when the lights in the room start flickering and Caroline waits for the small cuts dotting the right side of her face to heal up before giving Stefan her full attention.

"Get Pepper to the nearest safe room. Now!"

Pepper's torn between continuing to watch the live coverage of the Avengers on TV and staring at the seemingly calm Skye, but Stefan's strength ends up being no match for her.

"Where do you want me?" Bonnie asks, the floor trembling beneath her feet now.

"With me." Caroline stands to her feet, watching Skye glare at the TV and listening as Stefan whisks Pepper away into the elevator. "If she takes me out, you magic her into a coma until the others get back."

Bonnie nods hurriedly and watches as Caroline cautiously steps towards Skye to put herself directly in front of the brunette. Kneeling, Caroline then reaches for her friend's hands. "Hey.. hey!" She moves so she's blocking Skye's view of the TV. "Don't worry about her. The team will take care of it."

"She's out there," Skye grits out. "She needs to be put down. She's dangerous."

The glassware in the kitchen start cracking and splintering, and Caroline frowns. "Come on, Skye, you're better than this. Don't let the sight of her ruin what you've been trying so hard to keep under control."

"I can't keep calm when I know she's out there. How'd she even get stateside?!"

The light fixtures shatter and both Caroline and Bonnie cringe from the tiny pieces of glass.

"Skye!" Caroline yells now. "Breathe. If you don't breathe, you're going to bring to building down. And we all know how much of an insufferable ass Tony can be."

Bonnie snorts against her better judgement behind Skye and Skye actually manages to crack a grin. After a moment of hesitation, Skye slumps a little in her seat and gulps with her eyes downcast. "How much grief do you think Stark will give me for shattering his glass again?"

"Eh. Not much," Bonnie answers instead and Skye turns in her seat to see the dark skinned girl. "You just shattered light fixtures and some glassware. My brownie mixture is ruined, though, so you owe me for that."

"I'm sorry."

Bonnie chuckles and shrugs. "Don't worry about it, tremors. We all have that one person that makes us want to lose control."

"Tremors?" Skye's nose crinkles in distaste. "No. Just.. no."

Caroline giggles as she pushes herself to stand tall. "If you're hanging out with the Avengers, you're gonna need a code name."

"But tremors?" Skye scoffs, her attention fully diverted from the fight going on on the TV screen now. "There has to be something better."

"Hmm, maybe," Caroline shrugs. "Shatter-er? Shatter-ee?"

"Tremors, trembles," Bonnie speaks up. "Vibrato-"

"Stop!" Skye squeaks, snorting a second later as Bonnie holds her hands up in mock surrender and feigning innocence. "Don't even go there."

"_If I may,_" JARVIS suddenly interrupts. "_But Sir Stark and Agent Barton have compiled a list for Miss Skye's possible code name and their top choice appears to be 'Quake'._"

Mouths open to retort. Mouths snap shut. Lips purse and heads tilt as they turn over the name in their head.

"Quake, huh?" Skye hums. "I think- I think I actually like it."

Bonnie and Caroline grin, and nod in agreement, the dinging elevator making everyone turn only to find Pepper and Stefan returning.

"That was quick," Pepper quips. "JARVIS informed us all was well and Skye, honey, don't even worry about the damage. You probably cost Tony a couple hundred of dollars whereas Tony causes thousands of dollars in damage nearly every week. It's totally fine."

"I-If you say so."

"Mhm." Pepper's gaze slides to the left and she seems to brighten up. "Hey, look! The fight seems like it's over. Everyone appears fine."

The girls all whirl back towards the TV, the commentator spewing details about how the Avengers have won the battle. The Hulk never made an appearance and the Black Widow looks like she's enjoying binding the mysterious creature's- Raina's- hands together.

"Where will she go?" Skye wonders. "I don't think I'll be so quick to calm if she's held here."

"_If I may, again, Miss Skye,_" JARVIS interrupts. "_But Sir Stark was in contact with Director Coulson minutes after leaving the tower. SHIELD has agreed to detain the enemy for the foreseeable future._"

"Oh. Okay." Skye mutters. "That's good, I guess."

* * *

When the team had gotten back to the tower after a successful mission, Bonnie and Caroline tag teamed the entire team sans Bruce, and made them go clean up and patch themselves up before they started in on the sweets cooling along the kitchen counters.

Caroline had kept her promise of a massage for Steve though she had to keep it PG seeing as Barnes didn't want to stray too far from the Captain and Caroline's presence acted as a balm for Skye's worry. So with Skye and Bucky not leaving their quarters when everyone retreated to take a breather after the mission, Steve and Caroline made a night of it as they popped in a DVD and relaxed on the floor.

As the movie- The Goonies- played, Steve had rolled onto his stomach and Caroline straddled his ass so she could give him an over-the-shirt massage. Bucky had shifted to the floor halfway through the movie, stretching out but keeping his back against the couch where Skye had jumped at the chance to lay across the cushions. And the lower Bucky sunk so his head was propped up on the cushion, the closer his head got to Skye's wandering hand.

Steve and Caroline had gotten wrapped up in their own little bubble that they nearly forgot they had guests so when Bucky groaned aloud, both of them tensed and slowly turned to see what the cause of his groan was. Much to their surprise, they find a slightly blushing Skye who's sitting cross legged on the couch now and Bucky directly in front of her with his head lolling forward as Skye's fingers worked out the knots along his neck and shoulders.

Steve smirked, Caroline waggled her eyebrows, and Skye flipped them off before continuing on Barnes for a few more minutes. And before they could start another movie, Skye took her leave to sleep in her own living quarters while Bucky opted to stay in Steve and Caroline's guest room.

**xXx**

"Sweetheart," Steve croons. "Time to wake up."

"No," she groans and swats at Steve's finger that's running softly up and down her nose. "You had a mission last night. We get to sleep in today and be lazy now."

"I'd really love to but Stefan and Natasha are leavin' for Mystic Falls today with a U-Haul truck full of baby and wedding gifts that you, Tony, and Pepper went overboard with. Unfortunately for some of us, we've been recruited to help load the truck."

Caroline chuckles, smirking with her eyes still closed and snuggles deeper into the covers. "Doll," a voice that's definitely not Steve's drawls. "-if you don't get up within the next three seconds, I'm tossing you over my shoulder and parading you around the communal floor in your underthings." Eyes flying open, Caroline finds a smirking Steve on her left side and then an equally smirking Bucky to her right. "Three."

"No!" But it's too late and Bucky's metal arm is digging beneath her knees while his other hand goes behind her back to scoop her up and toss her over his shoulder. "Goddammit, Bucky! Put me down."

"Not a chance, sweetheart." Metal arm tightening around the back of her thighs, Bucky manages to keep his gaze trained on anything other than Caroline's panty-clad ass that's resting a little too closely to his face. "Where do you want her, Stevie?"

Caroline groans, Steve laughs and then takes pity a moment later. "Let her down, Buck. We'll go easy on her this time."

Bucky hesitates before tossing her on the bed, jumping back the second he sees her pull her hand back to swing at him. "You lucked out this time, doll," he cheekily grins. "I only listened to Stevie because you finally called me Bucky. You, Bonnie, and JARVIS are the only ones who are so formal now-a-days."

"It's called manners, you dick," she huffs and earns a snort from both Steve and Bucky for her language.

"Charming. Anyway, I've done my part of waking the beast." Caroline gasps dramatically and Bucky rushes for the door, narrowly missing the book that gets thrown at him. From around the corner, he peeks his head back in. "Meet you downstairs. We have a lot of gifts to load up." Another book gets thrown, this one catching his foot as he walks backward away from the bedroom.

**xXx**

After one very steamy shower- which, you know, included one very naked and wet Steve- Caroline's ready to face the day. The couple quickly drink a liquid breakfast before exiting their living quarters only to find Bucky, Clint, and Skye helping Stefan and Natasha load up the U-Haul down in the underground parking garage.

Steve easily falls into step with the others, picking up gifts from the overly large pile and walking it into the back of the truck. Caroline takes a moment to watch Skye attempt to peek into the gift bags and laughs when Skye scowls because there was just too much tissue paper to see through.

"Alright, ladies and gents," Caroline calls out, making a show of stretching her already deliciously stretched muscles. "Stefan and I got this." Everyone freezes where they stand, Bucky and Clint staring suspiciously and grumpily.

"We do?" Stefan quirks an eyebrow. "This is news to me."

"Yes, well, as much as I love giving gifts," Caroline huffs. "-I hate packing. So everyone will step aside, and you and I will have these gifts packed within minutes so you and Natasha can get on your way."

"I call bull," Clint pipes up. "There's no way all that-" he waves over at the pile of gifts. "-can be packed within minutes. No way."

"They're vampires," Skye scoffs. "Of course they can have it done."

"Twenty bucks says they won't."

"Twenty says they will."

Clint and Skye have a stare down and Bucky snorts. "I'm with the lil' firecracker on this one, Barton. You're goin' down."

Skye beams and Natasha rolls her eyes. "You're all idiots." Crossing her arms over her chest, the redhead then stares at the two vampires. "Well? I'd like to get to Mystic Falls sometime soon."

Grinning, Caroline gives Stefan a faint nod and that's their cue to get to work. One second they're standing still and the next, they're a blur of colors as they speed back and forth from the back of the truck to the pile of gifts. And in just under three minutes, the pile of gifts have dwindled down to nothing and then Stefan's a solid being once more as he's sliding the door down and securing the lock in place.

"Woo," Caroline suddenly appears next to Skye, smirking at Clint. "Didn't even break a sweat."

Skye and Bucky laugh, and Clint scowls. He digs out his wallet before pulling out a twenty and hands it over with grumbled words that Caroline doesn't care to decipher.

"So now that everything's done and over with," Skye chirps as she pockets her winnings. "Care to tell me what the hell you bought that required a U-Haul truck?"

"Just.. gifts," Caroline chuckles. "Most of those were from Tony, to be honest. He wanted everything Iron Man for babies and well, there was quite a lot of merchandise." There are a few well earned snorts and Caroline continues to explain what all they had bought. "Pepper bought them matching high chairs, swings to lull them to sleep, and various toys that you lay the baby under so they can swat at, and the soon to be married couple got the best coffee machine from Pepper as well. And from me, I got them lots of pampers, wipes, soaps, and powder because you know.. twins. They need twice as much of everything. And when the married couple move- because lets face it, Mystic Falls is no place to raise a family- Steve and I are paying for the furniture going into their home."

"Well that's boring," Clint drawls.

"Says you," Caroline huffs. "I also bought onesies that displays each and every Avenger, Cap Bears and Bucky Bears, and Avenger nightlights."

"Nightlights?" Clint then perks up. "They have nightlights for us?"

And at this, Caroline cringes. "Well, they do for Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor." Clint frowns and the blonde tries her best to not laugh. "They're quite cute, actually, and big. Steve's shield and Thor's hammer look like they've been thrown into the wall, and Iron Man's face plate appears stuck in the wall- the sticker decals making it seem like the wall is cracked and damaged where the nightlights hang."

"And for the Hulk?" Steve wonders.

"It looks like his fist is punching through the wall. They're quite adorable," Caroline admits. "I nearly bought some for the tower but I didn't think it was fair they didn't have any for Clint or Natasha."

"Damn right it's not fair."

Natasha shrugs as if it doesn't phase her but Caroline grins coyly at her. "Fret not, I had special made jackets for the little squirts. One is black and purple striped while the other is black and red. Hawkeye's jacket has a bulls-eye on the back and the Widow's has, obviously, a black widow. They're pretty much unisex so either twin can wear whichever jacket."

"Sweet," the archer then grins, happy to know Caroline thought of him.

"Yeah. There's a lot more clothes and booties and toys but I don't feel like naming everything. Stefan and Natasha need to get on the road if they want to get there before everything starts. And speaking of," the blonde steps away from Skye and turns to face the couple in question. "-you need to call Damon or someone to have Jo and Alaric waiting outside when you pull up. I want video of their faces when you open up the truck so they see what's inside."

"We'll call ahead," Natasha agrees. "So if that's all, everyone have a good day and we'll be back the morning of Liz's Charity Event."

The farewells are fairly quick and then Natasha's settling in the passenger seat with her feet already propped up on the dash by the time Stefan seats himself behind the steering wheel. And once the truck is out of view, Caroline turns towards the remaining group.

"So.. netflix anyone?" Skye asks.

"Yep."

"I'm in."

"Sounds good," Steve agrees. "We all need a good lie in after yesterday evening."

They all turn to Caroline and the blonde growls at them. "Screw you all. I have to head over to the tower next door and make sure everything's going according to plan."

"Sucks to be you," Skye sing-songs.

Caroline growls again which earns some amusement from the group, but then her scowl transforms into an all too innocent grin. "It's okay though, Skye. You can be lazy today because tomorrow, you belong to Bonnie and I. We're going dress and shoe shopping, and there's no way you're backing out." Skye's amusement slips away immediately and the chuckles are directed at her now though Caroline's sure to make sure the boys know they're not off the hook either. "And you," she makes sure to make eye contact with Steve, Clint, and Bucky. "Pepper's sending a tailor up tomorrow morning to fit you all, Tony, Sam, and Bruce for either a suit or a blazer. Have fun."

And before Caroline happily skips away, she bounces up to Steve and pulls him down for a brief chaste kiss while everyone else grumbles around them. "Don't worry about lunch," he murmurs against her lips, pecking them once more with a smile. "Knowing you, you'll nitpick all the work that's already been done. I'll show up around one with your food."

"Best." Kiss. "Boyfriend." Kiss. "Ever."

* * *

**AN: If you haven't noticed by now, anything or anyone I pull from AoS are really not like their characters on the show. I know Raina was not villainous but for the sake of this chapter, lets just say she is.**

**I actually love(d) Raina so please don't tell me I'm being hateful towards a character I like.**


	17. Chapter 17

Caroline's sitting atop the counter space in her and Steve's living quarters, legs crossed as her heels lay on the floor beneath her. She's dressed for the day, high-waisted denim shorts paired with a lace tank top beneath a light blue cardigan. And with a mug of blood in hand, she watches as Steve sleepily maneuvers around the kitchen as he prepares himself something to eat.

Her gaze fondly follows after him, mentally laughing that it was he who didn't want to get out bed this morning. He had clung to her with all four limbs, mumbling and groaning about not getting out of bed but Caroline knew it was just because he didn't want to deal with Pepper's tailor that was scheduled to appear just after noon later that day.

Ripping open a pack of bacon, Steve lines a hot pan with the raw meat before wiping his fingers clean. He stumbles back, letting the bacon cook as his lower back connects with the counter right in front of Caroline. With one hand holding her mug of blood, she uses her free arm to drape over his shoulder and rests against his chest.

"I can't believe you're still half asleep," she muses, pulling him against her and kissing the back of his head. She really didn't fancy attempting to kiss him properly seeing as her drink of choice would no doubt leave a lingering taste, and settles for hooking her chin over his shoulder with a chuckle. "You're always the first one awake. You know, not counting Tony since he rarely sleeps when he's supposed to."

"Mhm." Steve hums. "Yeah."

"Oh my god, you're so adorable."

Steve huffs though he doesn't bother coming up with a reply, their front door opening without anyone knocking or JARVIS alerting them to anyone. But knowing that it can only be someone they know, Steve and Caroline don't bother moving from their positions and turn towards the direction where their guest will appear. And not even three seconds later, Bucky walks around the corner looking more alert than Steve.

"Morning, sunshine," he smirks at Steve. "Doll," he then nods at Caroline.

Steve only grunts in response, moving to finally flip the bacon. "James," Caroline smiles. "What brings you to our humble home?"

"Food," he shrugs. "And really, Caroline, we're back to _James_? I thought you finally moved on to calling me Bucky."

"I say it with love and affection," she retorts. "Get used to it."

"Uh huh, and by the way, your girls are out in the hall. I think I heard Skye mention something about zombie mode, whatever that means."

Steve snorts, still not talking, and moves around to start the coffee maker. Offering him a grateful smile, Caroline turns when their front door opens yet again. And moments later, Skye and Bonnie enter the kitchen in a slow stumble, eyes half closed.

"Morning," Bonnie mumbles.

"S'too early," Skye yawns. "I hate mornings."

"Don't we all," Caroline agrees. The two girls take a seat at the kitchen bar where Bucky's perched on a stool, he ending up between both of them after they settle down. "But we have shopping to do so suck it up."

"You suck it up."

Bucky grins at Skye's feistiness, chuckling as Bonnie groans and folds her arms atop the bar before laying her head down. The coffee maker beeps minutes later and as Caroline finally hops off the counter to set the sugar and milk in front of their three guests, Steve sets out to fill up four mugs of coffee before sliding three of them to Bucky, Skye, and Bonnie.

"Seriously?" Steve frowns before huffing in amusement as he takes in Skye's shirt. "Are you really going out in that?"

Skye peers down, grinning when she sees the faded Captain America shield printed on her blue tee square over her chest. "Guess so. Wasn't really awake when I was getting dressed."

"Don't tell me you're one of those, uh, what did Barton call it?" Bucky slowly smirks as he sips is coffee black. ".. a fangirl?"

"Bite me, Barnes!"

"Not a vampire, sweetheart." His smirk turns into a leer. "But if you're still up for it later, I'll gladly sink my teeth in."

Caroline cackles, Steve and Bonnie snort, and Skye's face turns an interesting shade of red.

"Okay, okay," Bonnie plays mediator, a little more awake now. "While this morning has taken an interesting turn, I'd really like to get the shopping over with so can we please get a move on?"

"Finish your coffee and we'll leave the boys to it," Caroline informs her. "You need to have some caffeine or else you'll be.. _witchy_, and I'm not dealing with that so early in the morning."

"Don't you mean bi-"

"Drink your coffee, Skye," Caroline cuts her off. "Or the next time James hits on you, we'll leave you all on your lonesome."

Skye's mouth snaps shut, turning her head just so and catches Bucky staring at her with amusement dancing in his eyes. "Buck's a charmer," Steve finally speaks. "That is one game you won't win, friend."

"Who says it's a game?" Bucky quirks his eyebrow at Steve. "Skye seems like a swell dame."

Skye practically chugs her coffee then, mouth forming an 'o' as she sucks in air to cool off her mouth since the drink was still too hot. "So.. shopping? Who's ready to go?!"

Caroline and Bonnie finish off their respective drinks as Steve and Bucky laugh, Caroline walking back over to her heels and bending over to slip them on. Bonnie barely has enough time to roll up the sleeves of her blue and gray plaid shirt before Skye's gripping her by the hand and dragging her towards the door.

"I hate super soldiers," she mumbles.

Bonnie laughs and Caroline finally catches up to them. "No, you don't," the blonde informs her. "Otherwise your cheeks wouldn't have flamed or your heart wouldn't have skipped a few beats when James said he'd bite you."

Out in the hall and out of sight from the soldiers, Skye's cheeks flame yet again. "Shutup, Caroline! S'not funny."

"It totally is," Bonnie laughs. "You have a crush on Bucky!"

"Everyone and their grandma has a crush on Barnes," Skye hisses as she practically runs towards the elevator. "Just- can we not? Lets just get this dress shopping business out of the way."

And not wanting to push the girl too far, Caroline and Bonnie mime zipping their smirking lips closed.

**xXx**

Borrowing one of the few nondescript vehicles from Tony's garage, the girls take a fifteen minute drive across the city to a shop called _Sal's. _There are a few laughs, a few more yawns, and Caroline's nearly nonstop chatter about what color would look good on who.

The only parking Caroline can find is a few blocks away from Sal's, the girls finding no problem in walking the rest of the way there. Though the second they come upon the two-story white brick building with the golden wording of _Sal's _glittering in the morning light, and the very sophisticated women coming in and out of the shop, Bonnie and Skye sheepishly look down at their choice of jeans and boots.

"So," Bonnie drawls. "-_we_ could have dressed more appropriately for this."

"Yeah," Skye agrees before whipping her head in Caroline's direction. "Why didn't you tell us there was a dress code?!" she then hisses.

"Because I wanted you to be comfortable," the blonde tells her, eyeing the women entering the shop who were glancing rather disgustingly at her friends with their expensive purses clutched to their sides. "If they're going to be snobs, I'll be a snob right back. Lets see how they like it when I mention that Miss Potts would be taking her shopping elsewhere."

"Throwing around famous names now? Nice."

"Shutup, Bonnie," Caroline's lips twitch. "Lets just head on inside. I can't wait to get started."

And as expected, the saleswoman behind the front counter takes her fill of both Skye and Bonnie with a slight sneer on her lips. The two girls in question take deep breaths and bite their tongues, and Caroline saunters up to the desk with an all too innocent grin in place. "Hi," Caroline greets sweetly. "-I believe my friend, Miss Potts, set up an appointment for us?" The platinum blonde's gaze snaps to Caroline, eyes widening and heartbeat quickening. _Oh yes, _Caroline think. _She's definitely realized her mistake. _"The name's Caroline Forbes."

The woman gets to work, fingers clicking away on a keyboard, and Bonnie and Skye both smother their amusement before the worker glances up at them moments later. "O-of course, Miss Forbes. If you wait just one more moment, one of our stylists will be with you."

"Mhm. Thanks."

Caroline turns sharply, rolling her eyes and gesturing for her friends to follow. Bonnie and Skye follow with matching grins, and before they can get settled, they're greeted by a much friendlier blonde in a pressed peach business blazer and skirt.

"Good morning, Miss Forbes and friends, and welcome to Sal's. My name's Harper and I'll be your consultant this morning." Bonnie and Skye relax at the much friendlier blonde, greeting the stylist right after Caroline. "Okay, so, Miss Potts asked that you three get the special treatment today so if you'll just follow me upstairs, I'll take you to your dressing room."

"Dressing room?" Skye murmurs over Bonnie's shoulder. "Doesn't she mean rooms? As in plural. As in three- one for each of us?"

Bonnie shrugs and Caroline snorts but Harper doesn't hear them. And when they get to their room- yep, only one dressing room- Skye doesn't complain. It's clearly large enough for a group of women, the light blue walls brightening up the room even more. The right wall is completely made up of a mirror and to the left sits a black leather couch with end tables on either side. It's completely bare but this is a major step up from the single stall dressing rooms where you could barely move.

Skye and Bonnie are quick to take a seat, and leave Caroline to talk to Harper. "So I know it's still early in the morning but this place is really snobbish-"

"I like you," Skye interrupts. "Can we keep you?"

Harper laughs and winks at Skye causing the brunette and witch to evolve into laughter. "As I was saying, this place is kind of snobbish and serves alcohol at all times of the day so would like you like anything? We have chilled champagne, orange juice or water. We don't really serve food other than vegetable or fruit platters but you have your choosing of either."

"Fruit sounds good," Bonnie pipes up and Skye wrinkles her nose.

"You serve food and drink here? In dressing rooms?"

"As she said," Caroline peers over her shoulder. "Snobs." Then looking back at Harper, Caroline sheepishly shrugs. "Sorry but we're kind of new to all this," she gestures around the room. "I mean, we lead comfortable lives but we've never really been to a place like this."

"It's totally fine. I took a chance when I mentioned that this place was snobbish so I'm really glad you girls are very grounded. It's rare we have customers who don't look down their nose at us. Then again, some of the workers here aren't that better."

Caroline smiles at that and then shifts from foot to foot. "So how does this work exactly? I get this is our dressing room so are we to head downstairs and just pick whatever dresses catch our attention like we normally would?"

"Oh, no," Harper quickly explains. "Just give me a vague idea of what you're looking for and I'll pick out a variety for you. I can bring up two racks of dresses and you just try on what you want. Now, Miss Potts has warned me that the event in which you're shopping for is only two days away so I'm sad to say there can't be any alterations. If it fits, it fits. If we have the color then good but if not, I'm sorry but we won't be able to have one ordered in time."

"Oh, yeah, of course," Caroline chuckles in understanding. "We figured that alterations were going to be a no-go. No worries." And as the blonde stylist smiles in relief, Caroline then tells her what they're looking for. "We're actually looking for something fun and flirty but still classy. No sleeves, for sure, and nothing too bright." Harper nods, mentally cataloging Caroline's request. "Preferably flow-y skirts so nothing poofy or long enough that's going to drag along the floor."

"Excellent, excellent," their stylist nods. "You've definitely made my job easier."

"Well that's Caroline for you," Bonnie laughs. "She's always prepared and knows what she wants along with what everyone else wants."

"Right, well, if you don't mind, I'll go start the search with a fellow colleague. After you've picked your dresses, we'll then come up with a shoe selection."

"Sounds good," Caroline beams. "And the fruit platter is fine by itself, please. I don't think we need the drinks." Harper looks to Bonnie and Skye for confirmation, and when they don't say otherwise, she quickly takes her leave. And with the door closed behind her, Caroline walks towards the couch and the other two girls are quick to make room for her to plop down in. "So.. this should be fun."

"I guess," Skye mumbles. "I've never been shopping like this so it really is all new to me."

"Don't worry," Bonnie assures her. "This is a whole lot better than picking the dresses yourself. Although, I'm curious to see what sizes they bring up. She didn't even bother to ask what sizes we wore."

"Well, she is a professional," Caroline says. "She probably has an eye for telling someone's size."

Bonnie hums in agreement and Skye can only grunt, the three falling into a brief silence before Caroline starts asking Bonnie how the trinkets, candles, and lotions are coming along.

"Good.. good," the witch grins. "Stefan helped me in finding a bunch of stones and crystals that can have a thin metal wire wrapped around it to be attached to a rope necklace. And Clint," Bonnie then trails off, a grin quirking the corner of lips upward. "Leave it to Clint to find arrow charms, buy them out, and then ask if I can include them somehow in my merchandise for the shop."

"Clint, eh?" Skye slowly smirks. "What exactly is the deal there?"

"Flirtatious besties."

"God, I hate how you can be so blunt about it," Skye's smirk then falls. "I wish I had your confidence."

"All in due time, my friend. All in due time."

"What about the candles and lotions? What did the girls have to say about those?" Caroline then wonders.

There's a knock on the door that keeps Bonnie from answering, a chorus of _Come in! _letting their guest know to enter. A young male enters with a sheepish grin, pushing a small cart in front of him that has their fruit tray sitting on and some napkins. He gives them a quiet _hello _as he wheels the tray closer to them before leaving it and then takes his exit. And almost immediately, the girls descend upon the sliced strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, bananas, mango and whole raspberries.

As they munch on some of the fruit, Bonnie cleans her fingers of any juices and finally answers Caroline's question. "Clint, and surprisingly Bruce, were a big fan of the Country Rain candle. Pretty much everything else, except for the sugar cookies candle, was a hit. Too sweet, I'm guessing, so I aim to fix that but no one was afraid to make suggestions." Chuckling softly, she continues. "Pepper asked for something tropical and fruity, and Natasha and Maria asked for something _clean_. Bruce was the one to quietly ask if I could make something that was more earthy and yeah, that's what I'm working on now."

"Neat," Skye admits. "Have you thought of a name for your place yet?"

"Not.. not really," Bonnie's lip purse as she thinks about it. "The name has to be perfect, you know? I'm still working on it."

They continue chatting for a few more minutes about anything and everything, a knock on the door sounding once more. Harper's back with another stylist, both of whom are pushing in a rack of dresses each. There are various colors and length, and after making sure the girls don't need anything else, the stylists leave the girls to try on what they please.

It takes Caroline, Bonnie, and Skye hours plus three more racks of dresses before they find their perfect dress- Bonnie and Caroline cooing at Skye because this was the first time they'd seen the agent so girly. And once they have their dresses, they chat about various hairstyles only to be interrupted again by Harper who now has a large cart of shoes.

They try on even more sandals, platforms, pumps, boots, and wedges and after another good hour, the girls have the perfect shoes to match their perfect dress.

Skye seems a bit hesitant when it's time to ring up their purchases and Bonnie's mumbling calculations beneath her breath. But once at the front counter, Caroline slides a black card from her cardigan pocket and hands it over to the woman behind the register with a sly grin tossed to her friends. "You can give your thanks to Stark. He said to have fun this morning."

"Best. Dude. Ever." Skye breaths in awe.

The dresses are carefully bagged and the shoes boxed, and each girl swings their dress over their shoulder- holding it by the hanger- while clutching their shoes with their free arm. Bidding Harper, and only Harper, farewell, the girls exit Sal's while laughing.

Of course, though, their good luck and happiness has to eventually come to an end.

They're only halfway to their vehicle when Bonnie suddenly loses her amusement, a sense of impending danger blaring it's bells in the back of her mind. "Caroline?" she mumbles confusingly, wondering if Caroline can sense it, too.

And as if some higher power is listening, Caroline chirps, "Yep. I know. They've been tailing us since we left the store."

"T-tailing us?" Skye stumbles over her foot, quickly correcting us. "Who?! What's-"

"Calm down," Caroline assures her with a too cheerful grin. "There's only two and in case you haven't noticed, we're not your average damsels. Just keep walking towards the car."

Skye gulps as her gaze darts to Bonnie- the witch releasing a deep breath and jutting her chin out defiantly and confidently. And trying to follow in the witch's footsteps, Skye takes a deep breath and trudges forward without looking over her shoulder.

"Who can it be, though?" Bonnie murmurs, plastering on a grin to make it seem as if nothing's amiss. "I've kept my nose clean and head down."

"Same," Caroline returns the grin with a chuckle. "I've been busy working so they can't be here for me."

The two old friends fall into a silence, their gazes simultaneously turning to Skye. "I- I-" she stammers. "Well, it's possible they're after me?" she then shrugs. "Since Puerto Rico, people have been after me. But this is my first time out of the tower so I don't know how they found me so quickly."

"Eh, who knows," Caroline mumbles as they finally reach the car. "So the question now is what do we do? Do we get in car and possibly lead them back to the tower-"

"No. No way," Skye shakes her head. "You guys go. Leave me and I'll try to lose them around a corner somewhere."

"Pft. Not happening," Bonnie scoffs.

"So then that leaves plan B," Caroline beams. "Lets just drop off our purchases before we take a little walk because we did not just spend thousands of dollars only for our dresses to rip or get blood on them before we have a chance to wear them."

Bonnie digs the keys out from the back pocket of her jeans, pressing a button to pop open the truck. They carefully lay their bags inside, stacking their shoes off to the side before closing the trunk once more.

"You really think it's gonna come to a fight?" Skye mutters. "Should we call in backup?"

"Possibly and not yet." Caroline tells her. "Lets just see what we're up against first. As far as I can tell, there's only two behind us and there's three of us. We're fine."

Bonnie makes a show of dramatically cracking her knuckles which makes Skye nervously chuckle, and then Caroline's off and leading the way away from their car, and in the opposite direction of where they just came from. They have no destination in mind and Caroline's leading them away from the more populated streets in case things turn violent.

"Hey, Bon," Caroline muses. "-you've got a bit of the hipster vibe going on. Take out your phone and start snapping pics. Crouch low and make it seem like you're aiming for just the right lighting, and maybe get a look at our stalkers while you're at it."

And not feeling in the mood to rebel against orders seeing as their safety's on the line, Bonnie complies and starts snapping pics. She starts off taking pics of the surrounding buildings, talking about anything and everything with a smile plastered on her face so it seems like they're having a girls day in the city. She falls back a few steps behind Caroline and Skye, asking the two girls to turn and face her for a quick pic when really, she's giving Caroline the opportunity to check out their followers. And sure enough, the same two guys are a couple yards behind with their attention solely on Skye.

"So Skye is the target," Caroline mumbles as she turns on her heel so her backs to their followers. "How do you wanna do this?"

Bonnie goes back to snapping a few more random pics before pocketing her phone, Skye sighing a second later. "I don't know. I kind of wanna call in the boys but I also wanna see what these assholes want with me."

"Luring them into an alleyway it is then," Bonnie smirks. "My favorite cliche."

Caroline and Skye snort, the blonde then linking her arms with Bonnie and Skye before leading them towards the seedier parts of the city. If the confrontation took place anywhere near civilians, there was a lot that the three girls couldn't do because they'd be exposing themselves. So instead, they take the chance of something seriously going wrong and pray for a quiet alley.

Not wanting to wander off too far in case the confrontation doesn't turn in their favor, Caroline picks the next alley and turns sharply. All three girls are grinning and preparing for whatever happens next but they're not expecting three more figures- two men and one female- blocking their exit from the alley seconds later. Coming to an abrupt halt halfway down the alley, Caroline quickly peers over her shoulder and finds the two males stopping just inside the entrance.

"Well, hell," she mumbles. "Didn't count on more showing up."

Caroline faces forward once more, eyes on the three ahead of them while Bonnie and Skye let their arms fall away from Caroline's grasp. Taking a step away from the vampire, both girls then divide their attention between the two groups at their front and back.

"Everyone, stay calm," one of the men says- blondish hair trimmed short. There's nothing that screams danger about this group of normally dressed beings but given that they're cornered and outnumbered in an alley, well then they aren't exactly friendly. "All we need is for Daisy to come with us and you other two can go back to your happy little lives."

Skye sucks in a deep breath, cheek twitching from where she clenches her jaw. "They're working with Cal," she grits out. And seeing as everyone at the tower know that Cal's her father, she doesn't have to elaborate anymore than that, and Caroline and Bonnie prepare for a fight.

"Sorry." Bonnie scoffs, lips pursing in annoyance. "But _Skye's _going home with us. So unless you want trouble, I suggest you and little merry band of bullies walk away. Now."

The brunette male and his redheaded companion behind the blonde smirk in amusement, and the other two men at the alley's entrance chuckle. "Oh, I was hoping for this," the blonde man grins. "It's always so boring when there's cooperation." His gaze darts off to either side of the alley, tin trashcans clumped together to the left and groups of bagged trash to the right. He then slowly lifts his right arm, fingers apart and palm facing down. And then exactly like magic, random object start levitating until they're at chest height.

"Great," Caroline groans. "Just what we needed. Another _other._"

Random, sharp debris levitate in mid-air, all the pointy ends shifting so they're directed at Bonnie and Caroline. The girls shift their stances so they're ready for a fight, another man joining the fray behind the blonde. He's tall- a bit lanky- with fluffy trimmed hair short. For being quite warm out, the guy's in a brown suit and a manic grin in place.

"Sweetheart," he says. Arms spread out as if expecting a hug, he comes up to stand beside the blonde who's smirking at Caroline and Bonnie. "Come now, Daisy. It's time to go home. I don't want your friends getting hurt."

"Cal." Skye's eyes narrow and her mouth goes dry. She shifts from foot to foot, glancing over her shoulder every now and then. "As I told you before," she manages to say. "-I'm not going anywhere with you. I already have a home and it's not with you."

Cal's grin falters and his gaze darts from Caroline to Bonnie. "Are you saying you have a home with them? With the humans?" he huffs. "They won't understand you, sweetie. They won't know how to handle you. If you just come with me, I can show you just how truly magnificent you're capable of being."

"Take a hint, you creeper. She doesn't want to go with you," Caroline sneers. "Now do everyone a favor.. and disappear. Go."

Cal's gaze zeroes in on Caroline before narrowing, and after a moment's hesitation, he faces the blonde male at his side and gives him a terse nod. Smirking, the blonde male starts closing his hand into a fist that's held out before him but then his fingers splay out the next nano-second and the random debris goes flying.

Bonnie's quick to throw her hand up, redirecting the debris that's heading straight for _her_ but the sound of something sinking into flesh with the distinct sound of a crack and a grunt has her eyes widening when she sees the source of the noise. Caroline's frozen in shock, face downward as she stares at the dirtied plastic pipe embedded directly in the middle of her chest- blood blossoming all around the wound.

"What did you do?!" Skye yells, turning her horrified expression towards her father.

Simply shrugging and chuckling, Cal holds out his hand. "Come with me. You're better than these people."

Skye shakes her head, glancing at Caroline worriedly when a hiss escapes her friend's lips.

Growling next, Caroline slowly lifts her head to stare at the blonde male, her lips quivering in anger. "You really shouldn't have done that." The guy's brow furrow and he shifts uncomfortably, Caroline's fangs descending and she knows her eyes are blood red when she feels the veins slithering beneath her eyes. "You should have fled when I gave you the chance."

Caroline lifts her hand up to grip the pipe in her chest, twisting and pulling it free with grunt. Throwing the bloodied pipe to the side, she then takes a step forward only to disappear in a blur. A man's screaming within the next second, Caroline and Bonnie's attacker disappearing only to end up a few feet away from Cal and his buddies with Caroline's face attacking his neck. She drinks until the guy goes limp, letting him fall without a care and hissing in anger.

As she turns around to face Cal once more, the sick man actually looks ecstatic. "Marvelous," he breathes in awe.

Caroline hisses and the redheaded female behind Cal steps forward. Her face is clouded with anger and her eyes turn white. Clones of the female slink from her body, four of them stepping out and forming a wall in front of it's source and Cal.

The four clones then advance, Skye jumping in with hand-to-hand combat and Caroline joins in without a second thought.

"The original, Caroline. Send her this way," Bonnie says.

Bonnie starts chanting, the wind picking up in the alley as Caroline heads for the white-eyed woman. She manages to knock Cal and the other male's feet from beneath them, gripping the white-eyed woman by the bicep and running her towards Bonnie. And with her palm suddenly pressed to the redheaded woman's forehead and another quick chant, the woman falls unconscious with her clones disappearing.

Panting, Skye stumbles to her feet with a small cut on her right cheek. Caroline's a vision with her face covered in blood, the front of her shirt soaked as she hisses at the remaining men standing around them. Bonnie starts chanting once more, the sky darkening when the brunette man behind Cal steps forward. Electricity dances at his fingertips, and just as Bonnie starts to lift her hand, he lifts his, too.

Fire catches at the stranger's feet but the electricity he lets loose from his own hand catches Bonnie in the left shoulder. The force of the hit is enough to singe her clothes and send her careening back until she falls hard on her hip. When he then starts advancing on Caroline and Skye, Bonnie manages to look up and clench a hand into fist while twisting her wrist to the side, a smile blossoming as she hears the guy's kneecaps crack and he fall with an agonized shout.

Caroline hears advancing footsteps, turning just in time to catch the last two remaining men- the ones who followed them to begin with. They've got some type of super strength and take her punches and hits like they're not much of a bother, and it's only when Caroline stumbles because the ground is shaking does she chance a look at Skye.

Skye's facing the two men attacking Caroline, anger etched into every feature with her hands clenched at her side. "Caroline. Down. Now." And not wanting to second guess her friend, Caroline blurs to Bonnie's side and pulls the witch down until they're lying flat on their stomachs.

Skye does a good impression of a growl, her stance shifting so her body's angled with one foot in front of the other and her arms slowly lift. Energy pulses from Skye's palms, the vibrations catching the last two standing men in their chests and sends them flying back where they fall unconscious.

Silence lingers, and Caroline and Bonnie finally chance a look up.

"Hey!"

Their heads turn in an instant to peer over their shoulders, the two girls watching as Cal bear hugs Skye from behind- having caught her hands and tucked them to press against her sides- and turns around to walk away with his daughter in his grip.

Caroline hisses in anger, her vampiric features bleeding to the surface instantaneously once more. She blurs to her feet before advancing on Cal, leaping on the man's back and clinging to him. As her knees grip his sides, one hand grips his shoulder while the other grips his hair, she then pulling Cal's head to the side and baring his neck. She throws her head back with a hiss, sinking her fangs into his flesh a second later.

Cal shouts, stumbling in his steps and releasing Skye while shoving her forward. He stumbles from side to side, shoving his back where Caroline clings into the nearest wall with as much force as he can muster. Caroline grunts, her fangs releasing from his neck and Cal takes his chance to reach behind him and grip the back of Caroline's neck. And when he has a decent hold, he maneuvers himself back to the middle of the alley before flipping Caroline off of his back and into the wall in front of him.

Hitting the wall upside down, Caroline then falls on her head. Disorientated, she doesn't see Cal advance on her but she does hear Skye's shout of _Cal! _As Caroline rights herself with the help of Bonnie who had crawled over to her, the two girls watch as father and daughter face off.

"Leave my friends alone," her voice trembles with rage, the ground trembling once more. "Leave _me_ alone. I don't want anything to do with you."

"But I am your family."

"They're," she gestures to Caroline and Bonnie. "-my family. They and the Avengers took me in when I received my so called destiny. I love my life now. I have people willing to fight for me and not turn their back on me just because I'm different. I don't need you."

"The Avengers?" Cal scoffs. "They'll abandon you when you don't pique their interest anymore. They're SHIELD, Daisy, don't you see that? They'll abandon you just like Coulson did."

Skye freezes, her anger rising and she's had enough. "If you won't leave, I'll make you." She advances on Cal with such confidence, he actually smiling as she strides up to him, but the smile quickly vanishes the second Skye's hands land on his chest. Strong vibrations race through her veins, the energy pooling in her palms before she _pushes. _

Cal goes flying back, landing at the entrance of the alley and Skye's left panting harshly as the man surprisingly finds the strength to stand. "Leave," she grits out. "If I ever see you again, I won't hesitate to let my friends kill you." He gulps at her, eyes wide before he stumbles back some more and leaves without another word.

Skye takes a moment to collect herself, glaring at the five unconscious bodies in the alley before her gaze finally falls on her friends. Bonnie and Caroline are slowly climbing to their feet, Skye then rushing to their side as they take in the chaos around them.

"Go," Caroline tells them after a brief pause. "Bring the car back this way so I can climb in. I'll attract too much attention being this bloody."

"W-what about the others?" Skye wonders. "They'll wake up soon."

Bonnie shakes her head, stumbling forward and taking a deep breath. Her hands slowly raise at her sides, eyes closing as she mumbles a chant beneath her breath. And seconds later, her eyes open back up. "There. Magical coma. I've bought us at least another half hour."

"Go." Caroline tells them again. "I'll be fine. I'll even call up Coulson to pick up these little gifts of supers."

Skye hesitates for the briefest of moments before Bonnie tugs her along with a reassuring smile from Caroline. And as Skye and Bonnie go retrieve their vehicle, Caroline places a call to Director Coulson. She asks if they're stateside and when she finds out that they are, she relays the events that just took place with Skye's father and his minions. Coulson promises to be there in twenty but seeing as she's covered in blood and their attackers are magically asleep, Caroline gives him the exact address of her location right before telling him that she'd be back at the tower before they even showed up.

And when Caroline finally manages to climb into the back of the car when Bonnie pulls up, she wonders just how in the hell she's going to explain her appearance.

**xXx**

Steve and Bucky are bored out of their mind, flicking through the channels on the TV on the communal floor, when JARVIS interrupts their quiet solitude. He tells them that the girls have returned looking _roughed up _and Steve has JARVIS elaborate on what roughed up means. So when JARVIS mentions Caroline being covered in blood, Steve demands he overrides their floor destination and to bring them up to the communal floor immediately.

The two men situate themselves in front of the elevator doors, feet shoulder-width apart and arms crossed over their chests. And as the doors ding open, they're met with an impishly grinning Bonnie.

"Heya, guys."

"What happened?" Steve deadpans.

"Well, we might have run into an itty bitty problem but no worries. Only one walked away and the other five are being picked up by Coulson and his team as we speak."

"Christ, Bennett," Bucky groans. "Why didn't you give us a call?!"

"'Cause we had it covered?" Skye gulps, coming into view as she steps away from the wall.

When Bucky sees the small gash on her cheek, he rushes forward to inspect it more closely and Bonnie quickly steps out of the elevator. But as soon as Bucky enters the elevator, he catches sight of Caroline who's hiding in the corner so Steve can't see her. "Jesus! What the hell happened?!"

Gripping both girls by the wrist, Bucky drags them out and into the open. And the second Steve sees Caroline's appearance, his eyes widen and he's up in her personal space before she can even blink.

"Caroline?! How- what happened?!"

"I'm fine," she manages a relieved smile. Swatting his hands away, she then strips out of her dirtied cardigan. "I'm all healed up and most of this blood isn't even mine."

"It's my fault, actually," Skye pipes up but is quickly shot down with simultaneous _No, it's not! _from Bonnie and Caroline. "My dad and his friends found us. He tried taking me with him and well, we were just not having it. A fight broke out, we came out on top, and now we're home."

The three girls all share a smug smile, and Bucky and Steve seem to calm.

"We can't have one normal day, can we?" Steve then sighs, shaking his head in amusement.

"Yes, well, it really wasn't much of a fight," Caroline shrugs. "I think we made a good team, wouldn't you say so, ladies? One vampire, a witch, and Quake."

Skye rolls her eyes and Steve turns to their friend in surprise. "Quake, huh? Decided on a code name already?"

"Eh, it fits. JARVIS told me Tony and Clint had come up with it, and I actually liked it."

"Yeah, I guess it does."

The group then fall into an awkward silence, Caroline and Bonnie and Skye glancing at one another before Caroline sighs. "Well if the inquisition is over, I think us girls would like to take showers and get into clean clothes. We'll see you boys later."

And with a quick little wave, the three girls quickly rush back into the elevator before Bucky and Steve can say anything else.

* * *

**AN: Again, not bashing Cal here. By the end of S2, I was all for rootin' on Cal. I like him. I just made him different for the fic. And as for the girls' dresses and shoes, you'll just have to wait to read all about them/see them :)**

**Also, I'm sorry I didn't personally reply to any reviews. I've been swamped with.. life.. and yeah, but here's your update. Can you believe there's only 3 chapters left?**


	18. Chapter 18

When Caroline gets the video from Stefan of Alaric and Jo standing side by side blindfolded, she couldn't help but laugh. Natasha obviously took the video, Stefan being seen by the truck's sliding door as he told the happy couple that they had gifts from Caroline, Steve Rogers, Bonnie, himself, Natasha, Pepper Potts, and Tony Stark. Elena can also be seen in the video, she silently laughing in the background as she, too, took video with her own phone.

The door gets slid open, the blindfolds come off, and Alaric and Jo stare in disbelief at the amount of gifts that they've recieved. Stefan then quickly explains that 98% of the gifts are for the twins but that there are some wedding gifts inside, too. The camera then switches hands, Natasha slinking into view as she approaches Jo. Caroline's letter is pulled from Natasha's back pocket, she telling Jo to open and read it now. And when Jo does read it with Alaric reading over her shoulder, her eyes widen as she stares directly at Stefan.

_"Are they really? They're really buying all the furniture for our home?"_

_"They are," _video!Stefan laughs._ "All you have to do is call her about a month in advance so she can come on down or you travel to New York so you can shop there. She and Steve are excited to help you with this."_

Tears are shed, laughter is had, and then Alaric and Jo are greeting everyone who bought them gifts via video- giving them all their thanks for being such wonderful people and thinking of them.

**xXx**

Come morning of the Elizabeth Forbes' Cancer Charity, everyone on the private floors sleep well passed seven in the morning. And the only reason Caroline and Steve jolt up in bed is because JARVIS is constantly sending a pinging sound throughout their bedroom.

_"Miss Caroline, Miss Potts is at your door awaiting your presence," _JARVIS explains when he sees the couple is now up.

Caroline owlishly blinks, yawning as JARVIS' words register in her mind, and the she's turning to find the alarm clock on her bedside table. When she sees it's 8:26A, she scrambles from the bed with a squeak- leaving a confused Steve behind- and practically runs to the door when another round of knocking sounds.

She throws open the door, apology already on the tip of her tongue for being up late, only to find Pepper standing there sans makeup, hair in a loose ponytail, and a thin white cotton bathrobe wrapped around her. "Pepper?" her brows furrow in confusion. "What's going on?"

"I'm having a girls day up in the pent house," the CEO tells her. "I took the liberty of over-riding everyone's alarm and turned them off so everyone could get as much sleep as they needed for today. You, out of everyone, need to relax right now instead of worrying about what's going on at the other tower."

"But-"

"Nope," Pepper cuts her off. "Everything's fine. Now lets go gather Skye and Bonnie, and we'll head on up to my place where a cook is preparing breakfast for us. I have mani and pedi's scheduled for us, as well as hair stylists and make-up artists coming in to make us look pretty for tonight. Natasha will be joining us a little later."

Caroline opens her mouth to retort, snapping it shut a second later, and sighs. "Yeah. Alright. Come on in while I go brush my teeth and hair real quick."

Pepper walks in, closing the door behind her and smiling fondly when a sleepy Steve stumbles out of the bedroom. He greets Pepper and Pepper takes the opportunity to inform him that Tony's gathering the boys on the communal floor. They're all too shave first, and then a barber is coming in to clean up the boys' hair a little later, and Steve can only sigh and nod along in agreement, he promising to head on up after he's had a pot of coffee. Or two.

**xXx**

After dragging a surprisingly chipper Bonnie and a whining Skye from their beds, Pepper leads everyone up to the pent house where they're treated to the most marvelous omelettes any of them have ever had and some mimosas to loosen up.

When the foods all gone, more mimosas are made and Pepper leads them to the sunken living area where they rest for a bit and chat like a bunch high school girls. And when the men and women show up that are in charge of the manicures and pedicures, Pepper quickly sends everyone back to their place to shower while everything gets set up and ready for use.

Though when the girls all regroup back at the pent house, they're all in flimsy silk robes that JARVIS instructed them to wear, their hair is tied up with a towel, and they've all brought their shoes and dresses and any jewelry that they will be wearing for the night.

There are five chairs set up around the room- Pepper, Caroline, Skye, and Bonnie claiming four of them. The pedicurists instruct them to set their feet in basins of water that sits before each chair, a mixture then being tossed in to turn the water into a pale yellow slush-like mixture. They sit for a while, moving their feet around and it's then that Natasha saunters in in her own bathrobe and damp hair.

The redheaded assassin claims the last chair and a mimosa is placed in her hand as soon as she's situated. "Ladies," she grins as she sips from her flute. "Getting started early, I see."

From her reclined position, Caroline plucks off the cucumber slices from her eyes. "Yes, well, some of us need it. Apparently, I'm too uptight."

Skye and Bonnie both snort, both of them not bothering to say anything and Pepper smiles at the redhead. "Just drink and relax. You'll enjoy tonight a lot more if you're not all frazzled nerves like some of us."

"I'm not frazzled!" Again, Bonnie and Skye snort, and Caroline glares at her friends. "I'm just- I just want everything to be perfect."

"And it will," Pepper assures her. "You've done a wonderful job of planning tonight's event and I checked up on everything this morning before I woke you. Everything's fine, Caroline. Relax."

The vampire huffs but does as she's told, she letting the pedicurists and manicurists do their job. And once their nails and toenails are all dried, the men and women pack up their chairs and tables, and take their leave. Another round of mimosas are passed around and the hair stylists and make-up artists are brought up and set loose in the suite to set up.

There's only three hair stylists so everyone agrees that Pepper, Caroline, and Natasha should have their hair done first in case they need to leave early. Bonnie and Skye opt to wait on their makeup because they don't want their faces melting off when the straighteners get too close. So when all is said and done, Bonnie and Pepper are the only ones with pin straight hair- Bonnie having had extensions put in. Caroline and Skye have perfectly wavy tresses, and Natasha also has extensions though her red hair is curled loosely.

When the sun starts to set, Pepper deems it time to change. The girls take their time using the bathroom one at a time to change into fresher undergarments, none of them batting an eye at slipping into their chosen dresses in front of everyone else.

Natasha is the only one who went the form-fitting route, her dress being a short black lace bodycon with a sweetheart neckline and lace sleeves that stop mid-forearm. Pepper's in a sleeveless mini, her bust being covered in a sequined gold with a black high low flowy skirt.

Caroline makes Pepper coo at her in her soft lavender sleeveless dress, a print of dark tree limbs and white cherry blossoms with a thin black ribbon tied in a bow around her waist. Bonnie stuns in a sleeveless maroon dress- it's skirt being a high low hem- and a gorgeous diamond embellishment runs down the center of her bust. And Skye- Skye outshines everyone. She teeters in her beige buckle wedge sandals, chewing nervously on her bottom lip as everyone sizes her up in the beautiful rose colored, Ruby Ray chiffon cocktail dress and it's edgy layered skirt.

"Oh, Skye," Pepper is the first the crack.

"You look beautiful," Natasha then tells her proudly.

"Ditto," Caroline and Bonnie agree.

"You'll have Barnes eating out of the palm of your hand."

"Also, ditto," Caroline giggles, backing up Natasha.

As Skye's cheeks flame, Pepper tsks at Caroline and Natasha for embarrassing the girl. "Leave her be, will you? I actually want her to have the courage to take pictures with him in a little bit. You didn't have to get her wound up so early."

Skye groans and Caroline cackles. "Okay, okay," the vampire takes a deep breath to calm herself. "No more teasing."

And before the girls can fall into a silence that someone would end up feeling the need to fill, JARVIS interrupts to tell them that the boys are all dressed and ready for Pepper's word. She has JARVIS send them all up, the girls following Pepper towards the bar where she concludes that shots are in order before everything gets crazy.

The elevator dings open on the floor just as Natasha is lining up shot glasses- Tony, Steve, Stefan, Bruce, Bucky, Clint, and Sam stopping short at seeing the girls for the first time in their event attire. The boys are in various black or navy blue blazers, soft cotton tees in dark colors underneath- sans for Bruce and Sam who opted for button downs- and darkwashed jeans.

Steve and Tony make a beeline for Caroline and Pepper, both of them whispering sweet words into their girl's ears which cause them to giggle, and then Stefan's sidling up to Natasha's side with a smirk and a heated gaze. He kisses her cheek in greeting, tells her how beautiful she looks, and then Clint breaks the following silence by wolf-whistling and leering at both Skye and Bonnie which only earns him a jab to the ribs from Bucky.

Sam and Bruce are both polite, greeting all the girls and telling them how beautiful they look for the night, and then shots of vodka are passed around.

"To good friends and good times," Pepper toasts.

"To a successful event," Bruce sheepishly adds.

"To my mom," Caroline sadly smiles.

Everyone seems to freeze at that, almost as if they forgot that the night was also about Liz, and then Tony, Pepper, Steve, Natasha, Bonnie, Stefan, and Clint are simultaneously cheering, "To Liz!"

Shots are tossed back- only one shot because Tony had an open bar for the event, and the girls had an early start with their mimosas- and Pepper makes sure to snap pictures of everyone before they hit the public eye. And yes, Pepper also made sure to have Skye stand with Bucky, her cheeks burning in the picture while Bucky smirked down at her knowingly with his metal arm draped around her shoulders and hers around the back of his waist.

"So how are we doing this?" Tony asks, not bothering to hide his amused grin as Bonnie, Clint, and Sam pose in the famous _Charlie's Angel _stance with Bruce standing behind them acting as an unwilling _Charlie. _"Are the couples coupling up or are the Avengers heading in one by one?"

"You and Pepper showing up together is pretty much a given," Caroline says.

"And not that I don't mind the arm candy," Natasha grins in Stefan's direction. "But I would prefer the rest of us heading in one by one. Better to not photograph the Avengers with what our enemies would presume are our weaknesses."

Steve frowns and is about to retort but Caroline cuts him off. "An excellent decision, I think," the vampire agrees. "Unless Sam's considered an Avenger, he can walk in with Stefan."

"Sounds good to me," Sam shrugs. "I still do some work with the V.A in DC so I rather not paint a target on my back."

"Great! Then Bonnie and Skye can walk in with me. All settled."

"What about me?" Bucky questions, brow quirked.

"Please," Caroline scoffs. "You're James Buchanan Barnes. A Howling Commando. It's safe to say you're an Avenger, my friend."

Bucky smirks easily at that, nodding his assent. The couples then quickly pair up, taking last minute pics with each other before Pepper and the Avengers load up in the elevator. Once taken down to the lobby, the elevator returns for Caroline, Stefan, Sam, Bonnie, and Skye to load up and wait to be reunited with the rest of the group. They all head out together, they only separating once they hit Tony's version of a red carpet.

The reporters go crazy when Tony and Pepper make their appearance, the reporters shouting questions that go unanswered and their cameras flashing like crazy. Bruce appears after them, followed by Steve and Bucky together, Natasha, and then Clint.

There's a small lull in excitement after the Avengers enter the lobby to the South tower, and then Sam and Stefan make their appearance. Sam gets some recognition, he laughing off the questions and only answering the one when asked who his _date _is. Sam laughs, claps Stefan on the back who's shaking his head in good humor, and introduces them to Stefan as a good friend. And when it's time for Caroline, Bonnie, and Skye to make their appearance, the girls walk forward with linked arms. Of course, Caroline is recognized as Stark's event planner and Caroline only speaks when she introduces her best friends Bonnie and Skye before entering the lobby to be reunited with everyone once again.

Only inside, Caroline realizes that everyone- the invitees included- have all congregated in the lobby where Stark's standing up on a small stage with Pepper flanking his left shoulder, two covered portraits standing on what look like three-legged easels at either end of said small stage.

"What is he doing?!" Caroline hisses, coming to stand between Steve and Bucky.

"Said something 'bout a speech," Bucky shrugs. "Twenty says he makes an ass out of himself."

"Will you stop it?" Caroline softly chides her friend, elbowing him gently. "Between you and Clint constantly betting-"

"Hey, Barnes! Twenty says-"

"No!" Caroline glares at Clint. "No bets tonight."

Clint deflates with a pout, grumbling and walking back to where he came from. Steve and Bucky both snort, not bothering to hide their amusement, and it's then that the tell-tale sound of a microphone being handled draws everyone's attention to Tony on the stage, Pepper delicately pulling the black satin sheets off the portraits.

The revealing of the portraits end up being poster size pictures of Liz- one showing a clearly healthy and vibrant woman, Liz attending a bar-b-cue and caught laughing, and the other picture showing Liz who's sickly pale with dark bags under her eyes though she's smiling nonetheless. And, of course, the second picture shows her smiling at who appears to be Tony though you only see his side profile.

Caroline gasps, eyes widening and tearing up, and Steve doesn't miss a beat as he passes her a handkerchief.

"Hellooo," Tony drawls rather dramatically, his voice shushing the restless crowd and his gaze locks on with Caroline's who smiling fondly at him at she dabs at her eyes. "You obviously know who I am or else you wouldn't be here 'cause seriously, why accept an invite from my company if you didn't know who I was?" Pepper nearly face-palms from where she's standing slightly behind him and Caroline seriously feels for the elder blonde. There was no taming Stark no matter the subject. "So getting straight to the point, I'd like to welcome you all to the Elizabeth Forbes Cancer Charity."

The guests break out into an applause, and Tony beams as cameras flash.

"If you would look behind me," Tony continues, gesturing to Liz's portraits. "-you will see the magnificent woman that this event is named after. Elizabeth Forbes came into our lives right around the time Pepper stole SI's favorite event coordinator, Caroline Forbes, from H&amp;H."

"Recruited!" Pepper insists, blushing a second later when she realizes she spoke out of turn.

Tony glances over his shoulder, smirking at his girlfriend before addressing the crowd once more. "She says recruited, I say stole. It's more interesting my way," he then shrugs and earns laughter from the crowd. "But yes, we met Caroline's mother, Elizabeth, around the time Caroline started working for us, and it truly amazed me at how this human being could take one look at this misfit team of superheroes, and take us under her wing as if she'd known us her whole life. Now I can go on and on about the late Miss Forbes but I'm sure all of you are hungry and could go for a drink so I'll just go ahead and bring up Miss Caroline to the stage so she can tell you what tonight's all about."

More applause sounds through the lobby, and Caroline freezes. "What?!" she squeaks. "Tony didn't tell me I had to speak. I have nothing prepared!"

Steve sheepishly grins down at her, clapping, and Bucky chuckles while nudging her forward. "Go on, doll. The people are waiting."

Caroline stumbles in her heels, barely having enough time to glance over her shoulder and glare at Bucky before she feels herself being led up to the stage. She smiles at Pepper's guilty grin but is back to glaring when she catches Tony's smug smirk.

The applause continues until Caroline's situated in front of the microphone, awkwardly clearing her throat and smiling sheepishly at the gathered crowd. "Hello," she greets everyone with a nervous gulp. "I, uh, I didn't know I'd be speaking tonight so I don't have a speech prepared and I apologize in advance if I end up rambling. Just, you know, throw a shoe at me or something to get me to shutup."

There's a few chuckles around the room and Caroline shifts from foot to foot. "And really, I don't think I should even be talking. This whole event was all Tony's idea. He came up with the name and the cause, and I just planned for food and sent out the invites."

"Stop ruining my reputation, Forbes!"

Whirling around, Caroline's hands find purchase on her hips. "Can it, Stark. You're making me talk so everyone gets to know what a softy you really are." Tony gasps mockingly and once again, everyone laughs. And giving her attention once more to the gathered crowd, Caroline sighs with a sad smile. "My mom, Liz, was a wonderful woman. But then again, that's what most people say about their mothers. She was- she was diagnosed with breast cancer several years back when we lived in Virginia and she had come to the decision all on her own to not seek treatment.

"It was- it was a personal decision and even though I wished she had taken the alternate route, she didn't. We moved here to New York when it became obvious she was sick- she not wanting all of our friends back home to pity her or persuade her into a different decision. And then I ran into Pepper Potts, was introduced to Tony Stark and the tower's inhabitants, and like Tony said, she really did take them under her wing like a momma bear.

"I knew that my new found family and friends adored my mother but I didn't know how much until my mother actually passed away. And imagine my surprise when I see none other than Tony Stark taking it the hardest, right after me, though he managed to do so in hiding."

"Wasn't very good hiding if you managed to find out."

"Yes, well,_ softy_," Caroline sing-songs. "But as I was saying, Tony was one of the ones who took Liz's passing the hardest. Whether he knew it or not, I saw the private donations to various cancer charities he sent and the private videos he sent to hospitals for the patients in the cancer wing to tell them to keep fighting. And really, it wasn't a big surprise when Tony came to me about the charity he named after my mom.

"So tonight, we encourage you to take the time and understand that not everyone is as blessed as we are to have the jobs we have, to have the coverage we have, or to have the money we have to take care of ourselves. While there are people who are like my mom and refuse treatment for their cancer, there are also people who can't afford it less they end up in hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.

"No one chooses to have this disease so the least we can do is help make it more affordable for those who need the help. And while tonight is all about helping those in need, don't feel pressured to actually donate. We don't want to seem like we're making you do something but all donations will be greatly appreciated. Thank you."

The applause is the loudest it's been so far and as Caroline beams for the pictures that are being taken, Tony steps up to her side while slinging an arm across her shoulders, and leans towards the microphone once more. "So now if you'll all direct yourselves to the bank of elevators, please enter with a group of friends or people of whom you wish to mingle with for a short while. Since the party is taking place on three different floors, each elevator will take it's riders to a different floor so not everyone congregates to the same place. But worry not," he continues, pausing dramatically. "-you're encouraged to visit whatever floor you want after the first ten minutes. Just settle in first, get a feel for vibe of the night, grab a drink, eat a sandwich, and then do whatever your little heart desires."

The crowd does as Tony requested, standing by the bank of elevators and riding up to the floors where they're meant to be. The Avengers and friends find each other, a new man coming up beside Pepper and greeting everyone. He's dark skinned and in military uniform, and Caroline soon finds out that this is Stark's best friend, Rhodey.

And since everyone was breaking up to different floors, Pepper thought that they should, too, and just find each other later in the night. Tony, Pepper, Bruce, Rhodey, and Sam head to one floor; Steve, Bucky, Caroline, Skye to another; and Clint, Natasha, Stefan, and Bonnie to the third.

**xXx**

Caroline and Skye are standing near the window that's overlooking the city, small plastic plates in hand as they munch on sandwich halves (Steve wanted them to eat a few sandwiches before moving onto the alcohol), while Steve and Bucky are making nice with guests and taking pictures. Seriously, who wouldn't want to take a picture with Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes?

"Wanna get out of here and see who we can find upstairs?" Caroline asks, snorting when Steve's accosted yet again by yet another female. Luckily, no one had gotten handsy but then again, they were only an hour into their night. "We've already eaten three halves of these sub sandwiches so maybe we can get a drink upstairs."

"Don't gotta tell me twice," Skye mumbles around a mouth full of food.

The girls fold their small plates in half when done, edging around the crowd as they make a beeline for the elevator. The plates get trashed before they wait for the elevator to find them, the two girls waiting patiently while other attendees step off, and Caroline and Skye step on.

_No One's Here To Sleep by Naughty Boy feat. Bastille _is now playing softly in the elevator which means it's playing loudly for the party go-ers, and Skye sways to the beat. "I like this. Who's song choice was this?"

"Believe it or not, it was Pepper," Caroline grins.

"Seriously? Wow. Woman's got good taste."

"That she does."

The elevator dings open and the girls don't even bother searching for familiar faces- they choosing to, instead, head straight for the bar. The bartender is listing off the night's drinks when Caroline nearly chokes on her tongue when he mentions a _Vampire's Dream- _no doubt Tony's idea to add to the list just because of the name_. _Spiced rum, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine syrup make Skye hum in response, and then the girls are ordering two Vampire Dreams for the hell of it.

As they sip their drinks and Caroline mingles for a few minutes, the girls spot Stefan and Natasha across the room who are nursing their own drinks though from the looks of it, they're sipping regular beers. They're angled towards each other with Natasha sitting on a stool while Stefan leans against the bar next to her.

Stefan was normally a happy guy but his smiles ranged from being _only smiling because I'm being polite _to _smiling because I actually like you. _Same with Natasha- the spy having various smiles with various meanings. But the smiles that the couple manage to pull from one another truly make Caroline happy for her friends and seeing Stefan truly happy after the whole Elena debacle, well, it's making Caroline feel a little.. twitchy.

Stefan's one of her best friends and now that he's dating one of the world's deadliest assassins, Caroline suddenly feels like a little one-on-one talk is in order. The blonde vampire practically chugs her drink, her gaze locked on Stefan and Natasha even as Bonnie sidles up to them. The witch follows her friend's gaze with a confused head tilt, snorting a second later when she hears the mumbled words _shovel talk _leave her friend's lips.

An empty glass gets passed to Bonnie and then Caroline's marching across the floor, dead set on speaking with Natasha. Stefan spots his friend first, his easy grin faltering when he spots Caroline's all too innocent smile and twinkling eyes.

"Natasha," the blonde purrs. "May I have a moment with you, please?"

Natasha raises an eyebrow at her, lips twitching in amusement as she faintly shrugs. "Sure."

And before Stefan can give them a bit of privacy, Clint's sidling up to the male vampire and giving him a nod from one bro to another. "Salvatore. Come with me," he says.

Natasha snorts when she sees a certain glint in her partner's eyes, watching as Stefan follows Barton to the end of the bar. And then giving her attention back to the blonde vampire beside her, Natasha sits a little straighter in her seat and crosses one knee over the other. "Caroline."

"Natasha." The two hold each other's gaze, Caroline then rolling her eyes when neither one wants to look away first. "Okay, so, it's safe to say that you and Stefan are a little more serious nowadays. And I guess it's also safe to say that if you hurt him-"

"You'll rip by heart out? Make my life miserable?"

Caroline seems to deflate seeing as Natasha knows exactly what she's trying to say. "Yeah."

"Trust me, Caroline, I'll be kicking myself, too, if I hurt him." Looking towards Stefan who's trying to hold back a smirk at a clearly disgruntled Clint, Natasha slowly smiles. "For being a big scary vampire, he kind of wears his heart on his sleeve."

"That he does," Caroline muses, staring at Clint and Stefan before turning to Natasha. "Can you not look so.. smitten?" she then mock gags. "Seriously, I'm trying to give you _the talk _and when you look like that," Caroline gestures to a now very un-amused assassin. "-I just wanna coo and pinch cheeks."

"Pinch me and I'll stab you."

"Noted." Seconds of silence follow and then Caroline's flagging down the bartender. "Can, uh, can we get four Tropical Dreams, please?"

"Four?" Natasha huffs but then turns curious. "What's in it?"

"For you, Bonnie, Skye, and myself," she says. "And it's mango rum, coconut rum, banana schnapps, vanil vodka, orange and pineapple juice with a splash of grenadine syrup."

"Sounds too fruity."

"It is.. but the good buzz sneaks up on you. Now shush, drink your drink, and spend a little time with the girls. Stefan can wait."

Caroline then waves over Bonnie and Skye just as their drinks are being slid to them, and Bonnie grins in Stefan's direction. "What's going on over there? Stefan looks like he's seconds away from laughing in Clint's face."

"Boy talk," Caroline waves the question off. "Clint's giving Stefan the big brother speech, reminding him that he's taken up whittling again and he has no problem carving up wooden arrows should he hurt Nat. It's kind of hilarious."

The group of girls laugh, take their drinks in hand, and clink the glass together before drinking their fill.

**xXx**

"There you are," Steve sighs in relief, slipping an arm around Caroline's waist and tucking her into his side while pressing a kiss to her temple. "You wouldn't believe how many pictures I've taken. Luckily for me, Skye interrupted," he mutters. "Unluckily for Bucky, she dragged him to the center of the room that she dubbed the dance floor."

Caroline snorts into her margarita, licking the salt from the rim a second later. And sure enough, there's Skye in the middle of the room slightly bouncing along to beginning beat of _Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana _as Bucky watches on, frozen.

"Oh my god, look at his face," Caroline lights up with glee.

Steve laughs, shaking his head amusement and wishing his best friend all the luck in the world. Whatever was going on between him and Skye, it seemed he was going to need all the help wrangling his girl. And then the beat changes once again, the singer's rough voice making the vibe of the room very different from earlier, and Skye's stepping up chest to chest with Bucky with a sinful yet drunken smirk.

Her hands find purchase and his shoulders, sliding up the curve of his neck before her fingers clasp at the back. Her whole body starts swaying seductively, and Bucky's hands fly to Skye's hips and squeeze. And just as Bucky figured out how to sway/grind with the girl in his grasp, the beat changes yet again and Skye pushes back from him to jump in time to the beat while flicking her hair back and forth.

"She is trouble with a capital T," Steve laughs.

"Yep." Caroline sips her margarita, eyes sparkling as she then turns to face her boyfriend. "But Bucky's not exactly innocent himself, is he? She'll be good for him."

"Maybe." Steve glances down at Caroline, his gaze immediately drawn to her drink. "How many is that for the night?"

"As far as you know, it's my first," she coyly grins.

Steve has no response at first, shaking his head fondly before leaning in and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm seriously counting my lucky stars that it takes a lot more alcohol than that to affect your actions."

"Says you. I think you've forgotten that Pepper had us drinking since this morning."

Steve grin immediately drops and Caroline loses herself in a fit of giggles.

"Ah, Miss Forbes," a suddenly distinctive posh drawl catches her attention. "I was wondering what mood I'd find you in this evening. I'm pleased to see you're enjoying your night."

Caroline pulls free from Steve, whirling around only to come face to face with one of the Originals. "Elijah," she tries to imitate his drawl with a slow grin. She fails. "-I didn't think any of you would actually show. Well," she then amends, brow furrowing. "-I thought Rebekah might have shown."

"Ah, yes," Elijah briefly chuckles. "My sister sends her apologies for not showing. It seems my brother has angered yet another coven of witches and it got a bit.. bloody at home. Rebekah stayed to keep Nik in line."

"Good 'ol Nik," Caroline chirps. "Totally something he'd do."

Elijah's lips twitch and then he's turning his attention up to Steve. "Captain," he greets. "-on behalf of the Mikaelson family and various _friends _in New Orleans, I'd like to present you with a check for tonight's charity. I would hand it to Miss Forbes but it appears the alcohol has affected her a little too much."

"_You're_ too much," Caroline snorts, solidifying Elijah's claim.

Steve smiles tightly though amusement shines in his eyes, he gladly accepting the check from Elijah when presented with it. The Original doesn't bother making idle chit-chat with the couple, he taking off as soon as the check is in Steve's hands but not before mingling with some other guests.

**xXx**

"She's hammered," Steve sighs. Glancing over Caroline's head, he meets Bucky's gaze with his own slightly terrified gaze. "She's a vampire and she's hammered. This does not bode well."

"Aww, look how cute-" Caroline coos around a hiccup. "-they are." From her position squished between Steve and Skye- Skye being squished between Caroline and Bucky- she manages to free a hand and waves in Stefan and Natasha's general direction. "Stefan never liked dancing and there he is willingly dragging Natasha into a slow dance."

An acoustic version of _You Make It Real by James Morrison _is what they're lightly swaying to, and Skye joins along in on the cooing as her head rests against Bucky's bicep. When Natasha's gaze darts in their direction- their gazes alerting the assassin she was being watched- Caroline and Skye look anywhere and everywhere that doesn't have a redhead glaring at them.

Surprisingly, Bucky and Steve tag team Caroline and Skye, managing to keep the ladies drink free for an entire song. And then the upbeat tune of _Uptown Funk _picks up, Skye's eyes widen, and Bonnie swoops in from seemingly thin air as she drags the little agent to the center of the floor. They only get forty seconds into the song before Clint's at Bonnie's side, drunken smiles and drunken laughs making a crowd gather around the dancing trio.

**xXx**

"Steve, tell me I'm pretty."

Steve laughs, arms tightening around Caroline as she rubs her cheek right over his heart in a drunken haze. "You're beautiful, sweetheart."

"You have to say that; you're my boyfriend."

_I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing by Aerosmith _is playing, a song which he's recently heard numerous of times thanks to Bucky's current obsession with the movie Armageddon, but knows for a fact that Tony added this song to the list because he secretly enjoys the way all the women in the tower get weepy during a certain scene.

Laughing again, Steve lays his cheek atop Caroline's head and lightly sways from side to side with her. It's already after midnight and about 98% of the guests have already left so he doesn't care about being couple-y right now. "Even before we were a couple, I thought you were beautiful. I'm one lucky son of a gun."

"Damn right you are."

The couple fall into an easy silence, the song finally fading out, and Caroline doesn't utter a peep. Another slow song starts and still, not a word.

"Caroline?"

No answer.

"Sweetheart?"

No answer.

Lifting his head, Steve tries to see why she isn't answering but her head is tilted downward so he has to remove one of his arms from behind her back to grasp her chin and tilt her head so he can see her face. And when he does, her eyes are closed and her nose twitches, and he realizes that she's sleeping.

"Unbelievable," he mutters in amused awe.

"Bonnie's passed out, too," Bucky steps up beside them, huffing in amusement. Skye's hanging off his arm, eyes glazed and the arm that's not clinging to Bucky is stroking his jawline. "Natasha's got pajamas for the girls. She said she'll help them change although I'm pretty sure you've already seen your gal naked more times than you can count. But if you want, we're gonna bunk on the communal floor tonight. Barton's already taken Bonnie there."

Steve blinks.. and then blinks again. "I think that's most I've heard you talk in one go."

"Punk." Bucky rolls his eyes but smirks nonetheless, swatting at Skye's hand when she starts _poking _at his chin. "So you comin'? I'd like to get Skye back to the tower before she passes out, too. That and I have a feeling she'll get bored with my jawline soon. She appears to be a handsy drunk."

Steve snorts and then nods, readjusting his grip on Caroline so one arm is braced along her back. He maneuvers her just so, leaning down to hook his other arm beneath the back of her knees so he can carry her out. And luckily that his best friend is a gentleman, Bucky then steps in to carefully smooth Caroline's skirt against the back of her thighs so Steve can hold it there so no one sees up her skirt.

"Come on," Steve gestures to the elevators. "Lets get our girls home."

* * *

**Polyvore is your friend. Seriously, check the link on my profile to be taken to the outfits.**


	19. Chapter 19

Caroline wakes to her tongue feeling heavy in her mouth, her head pounding, and lights too bright even though her eyes are still closed. Pathetically groaning, she then drags an arm over her eyes.

"J, kill the sun." A moment passes and when Caroline shifts her arm, it's as bright as can behind closed lids. "Ugh, JARVIS? Lights. Blackout. _Please_."

"Oh, god," a raspy- _Bonnie?- _groans. "Shut up. S'quiet time, Care, not yell at the ceiling time."

"Get out of my room, witch."

"S'not your room," another voice- _Skye?-_ answers. "It's- I'm not- what even..?"

Caroline bolts upright at her friend's sudden confusion- head spinning and stomach churning. She blinks against the sudden onslaught of sun blaring through the glass wall (window) that overlooks the city, and her hands shoot up to to her head so her fingers can rub at her temples in soothing circles. "Ugh. Common room," Caroline tells them, having had glimpsed the room they were in. "We're in the common room."

The vampire holds back a gag, her tongue running over her teeth to rid the funky feeling of her mouth. She moves to lay back down, reclined on her elbows as she sleepily stares at her surroundings. All the furniture has been moved aside, piles of blankets and pillows filling the spot that she, Bonnie, and Skye lay in.

Skye's sleeping on her stomach, her face hiding in folded arms and a blue comforter draped over her back. And Bonnie- Bonnie's actually curled around a bucket that Caroline doesn't even want to begin to wonder what's in said bucket- has a thin white sheet tangled around her legs.

"Oh, hey, you're awake." Caroline blinks slowly, turning her face to the left to find Steve walking in from the kitchen. "Buck and Clint are making breakfast. You girls," he slowly grins, laughing softly. "-you girls really know how to have a good time."

Caroline groans again, falling fully on her back now while staring up at Steve who looks very comfortable in flannel pajama pants and a white tee. "Mhm. And are you guys the reason JARVIS isn't answering me?"

_"Apologies, Miss," _JARVIS finally speaks. _"But the Captain was adamant that I not disturb you, Miss Bennett, or Miss Skye given the amount of alcohol consumed."_

There are two simultaneous groans from both Skye and Bonnie, and Steve cracks a grin at them when Caroline winces in sympathy. Damn Stark and his parties!

"Breakfast's up!" Clint hollers from the kitchen. "Come on, girls, get your perky asses to the table."

"Ugh, make it stop talking," Bonnie groans. A pause.. and then, "Why am I curled around a bucket?"

"You puked," Steve supplies, shrugging with a grin.

Bonnie groans again, leaning up to peer in the bucket before dry heaving at the smell and rolling away from her own mess. "Oh, god, is that why my mouth feels the way it feels?"

"Stop. Talking," Skye grumbles. "Or I'm gonna upchuck next."

Steve laughs at them all, stepping closer to Caroline's little nest of blankets and kneels down. Brushing wayward waves off her forehead, he grins down at her. "Come on, sweetheart. There's a greasy and then bloody breakfast waiting for you."

"You promise?" she cracks open one eye.

"I promise. Now up."

Caroline obliges then, letting Steve slowly pull her into a sitting position and then up to her feet, and she whimpers the entire time it takes her to walk to the kitchen table. A cold draft passes over her body but she ignores it in favor of staring at Bucky who's standing by the table and holding a steaming mug of-"

"Coffee," Caroline breathes in the scent of the hot beverage- she having blurred from Steve's side to Bucky's within the blink of an eye. "Gimme."

"All yours, doll," the Soldier tells her, handing her the too hot mug that doesn't even phase the vampire. "We got three pots brewed since Barton claimed an entire one for himself, Steve and I took another, and the last is for you and the girls."

Caroline hums as the cradles the mug in her hand, standing and swaying as if in a trance as she watches her boyfriend try and wake Bonnie and Skye. She's draining the last of her coffee when Bucky's standing tall and proud next to her- pot of coffee in hand and waiting until she eventually asks for a refill.

"You're being weird," Caroline narrows her eyes at him, holding out her mug so Bucky can pour more coffee into it. "Why are you boys so.. cheerful this morning?" And then eyes widening in horror, she gasps and whirls around to face Clint, "What did you _do?!_"

"Aw, I'm hurt, Care," Clint muses, walking three plates of food to the table and setting them down. "We're just showin' our favorite girls a little love and attention. S'not our fault you three decided to get hammered." Caroline's narrowed gaze lingers on him before she shrugs, greedily drinking the strong brew of coffee without a care in the world. "Nice jammies, by the way."

Clint's smirk has Caroline's gaze immediately falling to stare down her body, her brow furrowing as she takes in the blue tank top and black sleep shorts that just so happen to have numerous mini Captain America shields all over. "What..?" she huffs. "How did I- who changed me?"

"I did," Steve answers. He's carrying most of Bonnie's weight as she stumbles up to the table- Bonnie who's sporting a purple tank top and black sleep shorts that have numerous arrows criss-crossed all over and the word _Hawkeye _stamped across her ass (she only seeing Bonnie's back when the witch turned to snort at Skye who was pathetically trying to burrow back into the blankets). "Nat changed Bonnie and Skye, though."

It's then that Bonnie realizes her Hawkeye themed pajamas, she mumbling incoherently and plopping down into a chair before accepting the mug of coffee that Bucky held out for her. And when Steve manages to drag Skye out from her nest, Caroline and Bonnie can only stare in wide-eyed horror turn amusement as the little agent finger combs her hair while glaring at Steve.

"Uh, nice ink," Bonnie manages to say. She's quick to then sip her coffee, eyes sparkling as Skye furrows her brow in confusion.

"What?"

"I mean, I know we were hammered," Caroline slowly grins as Steve takes a seat next to her. "-but I didn't think you'd go out and do something so drastic."

Steve, Bucky, and Clint snicker, and Skye glowers at everyone. "What are you talking about?"

"Your arm, babe. Look at your arm," Bonnie chuckles before frowning and pulling a plate of food towards her.

Skye glances down at herself finally only to find herself in a black long sleeve thermal and black sleep shorts. Although, the sleeve to her left arm has been ripped off and her arm is tattooed. But the closer she looks, she realizes that it's actually _paint_ and that she didn't tattoo her left arm to match Bucky. "You guys are idiots."

"You gotta admit, though," Clint muses. "Cap did a damn good job."

Bonnie snorts and Caroline busies herself with eating toast, scrambled eggs, and sausage links as Steve feigns innocence. And Skye- Skye can only stare at her painted silver arm with thin black lines that represent various _metal plates_ and a star void of color though the space between the points of said star are colored in blue with a red ring encircling it.

"You know what?" Skye sighs. "I'm not even mad. Gimme coffee."

As Skye plops down in an open seat, Bucky plops down on the one next to her and hands her a mug of coffee before sliding over the third plate of food to her. She blushes as he winks, her blush disappearing as she glowers and forks a forkful of fried potato chunks into her mouth to play it off.

"So," Caroline drawls sleepily. "-give us a rundown of last night. Please, tell me we didn't make fools of ourselves?"

Before anyone answers though, Bonnie, Caroline, and Skye are eagerly digging into their food- stopping briefly to gulp down some caffeine before eating some more.

"Well," Steve huffs. Leaning forward so his forearms are resting on the table, he smirks at Bucky. "-Nat got some good videos of everyone dancing."

"Not likely," Skye grumbles. "I don't dance," she then explains when she notices a few set of eyes on her.

"You did last night," Bucky tells her. "You're very.. handsy when drunk."

"And chatty," Clint throws in, grin broadening as Steve and Bucky chuckle.

Skye pales even more than what she already was, jaw frozen mid chew. "W-what?"

"Apparently, Stevie has a shoulder to waist ratio of _a fuckin' dorito_," Bucky snickers. "And I- what was it that I had a gain? Oh, right, a filthy ridiculous jawline that _someone,_" he pointedly stares at Skye. "-couldn't stop stroking."

Bonnie and Caroline are snorting and groaning- showing amusement at their friend's embarrassment but then groaning in pain when their throbbing headaches get the better of them.

"And I," Clint cheerfully tells them. "-I have the most ridiculously cut arms."

Skye looks as if she's just waiting for the floor to open up a hole and swallow her whole so Caroline finally takes pity on her friend. "Aw, don't let it go to your head, Barton. She only said that because she hasn't met Thor yet."

Clint's smirk quickly falls and Skye is back to eating with a small grateful smile thrown in Caroline's direction. The girls then manage to eat the rest of their food with a couple more mugs of coffee thrown into the mix, Bucky and Steve make small talk across the table from each other, and Clint's half asleep on the counter with his pot of coffee in hand now that he's not teasing Skye.

When the food and coffee are gone, Steve makes good on his promise of warm blood. And even on a full stomach, Caroline has enough room for her real meal. She happily accepts the new mug from her boyfriend, the veins beneath her eyes slithering to the surface just at the thought of what she's about to drink.

Bucky chuckles at the sight as Skye stares in awe- Skye doesn't think she'd ever be over seeing her friend's face transform- and Caroline takes a good mouthful of the copper flavored liquid. The mug gets lowered, Caroline then humming to show her content at having what she'd truly been craving, and she licks her top lip free of blood.

"Okay, _that,_" Tony suddenly appears- and huh, Caroline didn't even hear the elevator this time- and grimaces at Caroline. "-will never stop being gross."

Flashing Stark a fangy smirk, Caroline shrugs. "But blood does the body good."

"So says you. Thank, God, us mere humans don't need to drink it."

"So says me." Caroline finishes her blood, happily setting the mug down on the table and grinning.

"Ugh, I hate you and your vampire abilities," Bonnie groans. "Couldn't your hangover last a little longer?"

"You're a witch," Stark then frowns. "Can't you just.. juju the hangover away?"

"Oooh, like in Harry Potter," Skye then perks up. "Hangover potion! Wouldn't happen to have one of those, huh?"

"Aw, she's adorable," Clint snorts.

Skye and Bonnie both glare at the drowsy archer, the both of them refraining from throwing objects or food at him. Stark's still standing with a single slip of paper in hand as his gaze ping pongs from the girls to Barton, wondering if they'd let their annoyance get the best of them and start a food fight.

'Cause really, a food fight would be hilarious. Especially if Barton fell off his perch.

"Did you need something?" Caroline's curiosity finally wins out. "Pepper told me I was off today but if you need something filed-"

"Huh? What? Oh, no," Tony then shakes his head. "I got the numbers in from last night. Thought you'd wanna know how much Liz's charity raked in. But first, does anyone wanna tell me why our little agent-slash-Avenger is dressed like Barnes in battle gear? What's with the pajamas and tattoo art? Why was I not invited to last night's slumber party?"

"Steve took advantage of my drunken state," Skye waves the question off and Tony gasps dramatically.

"Captain, you didn't?!"

"Shut it, Stark," Caroline grins, completely opposite of the tinge of annoyance in her voice. "And you weren't invited because- well, I'm not sure why you weren't. Apparently, us girls were blacked out drunk."

"And I missed it?!" Tony looks absolutely crestfallen and Steve huffs in amusement.

"Don't worry. You didn't miss anything, really, other than the fact that Barton had to hold Bonnie's hair back as she puked into a bucket."

Bonnie groans in embarrassment and Tony scowls in disgust. "Gross."

"Uh huh, now get on with it," Caroline gestures in a _hurry it up _motion. "How did last night end up faring?"

It takes a moment for Stark to get back on track but when he does, his eyes light up and he's beaming as if all his Christmases just came at once. "Last night- _last night-_" he emphasizes. "-pulled in a little over three million."

"W-what?!" Caroline's eyes bulge in shock.

"Yeah. And the official website launched at six this morning, our ads are all over the place, and the little ticker in the corner of the website is rolling with more incoming donations from all over the world."

"Holy.."

"I know," Tony laughs. "Well, now that you're informed, I got other.. things.. to tend to. Later, children."

Silence lingers as Tony makes his exit and Caroline wonders briefly just what things Tony has to tend to- he hesitated a little too much for her liking- but then shrugs it off and doesn't care. As of right now, he's technically Pepper's problem so the blonde CEO can worry about what her other half is up to.

Caroline's mind quickly goes back to what Tony had just told them about the amount of money the charity had raked in, she smiling fondly though she is a little heartbroken that her mother isn't here to see how she- a small town Sheriff- impacted Tony Stark's life. She's so caught up in her thoughts that she doesn't know she's crying until Steve's wiping her tears away or that the table has cleared of people.

"You okay?" Steve wonders, smiling softly.

"Y-yeah," she grins, sniffling and rubbing at her eyes. "Just thinking about mom."

"Figured," Steve chuckles. "You have this.. little smile that I've come to realize you only get when Liz is brought up."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Caroline's eyes tear up once more- though for different reasons than the first time- and she hurriedly wipes them away before Steve can get worried. Only Steve would recognize something little like that about her. "You really are too good for me."

"I'm really not but you know what? Lets not get into that right now." Suddenly standing, he reaches for Caroline's hand. "Come on. You girls partied hard last night so you deserve a relaxing day in."

And chuckling, Caroline follows and finally notices that the entire floor is empty. "Um, where did everyone go?"

"Skye and Bonnie went to go get in some more z's, Bucky has a session with Sam, and JARVIS alerted Clint that Tony abducted Jax from his apartment."

"What?" They're in the elevator now, Steve pressing the button for their floor. "Why would Tony take Jax? Thought he didn't like the little fleabag?"

"Well, apparently, Tony's been kidnapping Jax to let him run wild in his labs and letting him play with the robots. So not only is he soothing for Barnes but for Stark as well."

"Huh."

They step off on their floor, Steve leading the way into their living quarters. He mentions that even though her vampire metabolism already killed her hangover, they're still going to have a relaxing movie day and he'll queue up a list for them with help from JARVIS while she showers and gets comfortable. Of course, Caroline tells him he doesn't have to stay in with her but he shushes her with a chaste kiss and tells her to clean up because he knows that after a hangover, one does not feel as clean or fresh as they'd like.

So Caroline quickly showers and slips back into her Captain America sleep shorts and tank, but not before switching out her undergarments. She towel dries her hair until it's an acceptable damp bird's nest and then combs it out to loosely braid over her shoulder. And when she enters the living area of their quarters, it's to find Steve already relaxing against the armrest of their sofa with his legs outstretched along the cushions- he, too, still in pajamas.

"Do you want anything to drink?" she asks before she lets herself become comfortable.

"No, I'm good."

Caroline hums happily, walking over to the front of the sofa to climb over Steve's lap. She slides in between the back of the sofa and Steve, snuggling into the space just as he drapes his left arm over her. "So what are we watching first?"

"Bridesmaids, I think," he says.

The vampire grins as she gets comfortable- Bridesmaids having been one of her pick me up movies that she's pretty sure Steve knew. Seriously, what did she do to deserve such an amazing person in her life?

**xXx**

Steve and Caroline manage to get through _Bridesmaids _with the expected laughs, Steve pulls up his guilty pleasure which turns out to be _The Princess Bride_, and then Caroline pulls up her own which happens to be _Pee Wee's Big Adventure_.

They're in the same positions as they started out in, only ever getting up when they needed a drink or snack. No one had bothered them- something in which the couple was grateful for- and started yet another movie, this one being _Burlesque._

They're in the minutes leading up to the scene where Christina Aguilera's character sings "Bound To You" quite beautifully when Caroline's hand starts wandering. Legs tangled with Steve's and arm draped over his abdomen, her hand suddenly finds itself sneaking beneath his shirt. He doesn't say anything- doesn't remove her hand- and her fingers start exploring his abdominal muscles.

Nails scraping slightly, she grins triumphantly when she feels the muscles beneath her hand contract and Steve breathe in sharply. "Caroline.."

"Steve."

"What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

Her hand slides along the flesh from his abdomen to the side of his waist and back to his abdomen again. Fingers slipping beneath the waistband of his pajama pants, Steve groans and shifts just before gripping Caroline by her biceps before her hand can reach it's end goal, and pulls her atop of him now, sliding her up the length of his body. "You're playing a dangerous game, doll."

"Not so dangerous if we're still laying here with our clothes on."

There's no warning before Steve claims Caroline's mouth with his own, lips molding perfectly together. His hands release Caroline's arms before sliding down to grip the back of her thighs, spreading her legs so she's straddling his lap comfortably just as their tongues are sliding against one another. Her hands grip either side of his shirt and when oxygen becomes a need for both of them, more so Steve than Caroline, Caroline pulls back first but not before letting her fangs descend to scrape along his bottom lip.

Steve groans as his head falls back, chest heaving and his hands move to rest against the tops of her thighs. "You're gonna.. be the death of me.. one of these days."

"Oh, but what a wonderful way to go." Steve roughly laughs at her words, and when he picks up his head to stare at her, his pupils flare even more at the sight of Caroline's tongue running over the tip of one of her fangs. And when Caroline catches him gulping while his gaze is transfixed on her mouth, she smirks. "The fangs do it for you, huh?"

"I- what?" And instead of repeating herself, Caroline grinds her hips down against Steve who's hardening by the second beneath her. "Oh.. that.. yeah."

"Yes, that," she grins, slowly grinding her hips again. Her hands lose their grip on his shirt before slowly inching downward to the hemline of it, her head then motioning towards the forgotten movie. "I know the girls are beautiful when they're dancing but the rest of the story doesn't seem like something you'd be interested in."

"Mhm. Yeah," Steve pants, hands gripping for purchase on her thighs. Caroline starts slipping his shirt upward and over his chest just so it's gathered by his neck. "Beautiful dames.. but you- you're more beautiful."

"Glad you think so."

She leans down, gaze locked on with Steve's as her tongue peaks out to flick across his nipple before her mouth closes around it and her fangs prick his flesh to draw the faintest amount of blood. Steve groans again and mutters_, "Fuck!", _before his hands are moving and dragging her face back to his.

Caroline laughs into the kiss, her hands frantically trying to remove his shirt but the second it gets caught, Steve hurriedly strips it off over his head and Caroline strips off her tank. Chest heaving and skin flushed, Steve takes in the sight of Caroline straddling him in just a bra and sleep shorts, and his mind goes into overdrive.

Movie very forgotten now, Steve's arms wrap around Caroline's waist until he's lifting her off and pushing her back until she's lying on her back along the cushions. Settling down carefully so his hips are cradled between her thighs and his hands are then digging into the cushions on either side of her head, it's Steve's turn to grind and tease when Caroline flashes him a fangy smirk.

Well, so much for a relaxing day.

* * *

**Gosh dang it, guys! There were only supposed to be 20 chapters to this fic but then I wanted to bring Thor back in so now there's a total of 21 chapters! And not only Thor but Coulson, too! It seems a lot of you liked the ladies kicking ass so I thought up a little something for them although it's only going to be _a little something_. **

**Also, someone asked to save the twins (Maximoff's) but sadly, I'm not diving that far into AOU. There will be mentions of what will possibly lead up to what happened in the very beginning of AOU but I won't actually go into said events. Sorry.**


	20. Chapter 20

Things at the tower actually settle down quite nicely, the Avengers only ever having missions that never lasted more than a full day. Bucky works towards becoming _Bucky _though he keeps up with his daily workouts to keep himself in tiptop shape, Bonnie graduates from college way quicker than she expected, and Skye works alongside Natasha to hone her hand-to-hand skills while also working with Bruce to get better control over her power.

Bucky and Skye go with the Avengers when needed but Skye is the only one to sit back since she's iffy about people finding out who she is. Well, most of the time. If there's enough coverage, she doesn't mind slipping out of the quinjet and _quaking _the enemy just long enough for the Avengers to swoop in and tie 'em up.

So the day Thor comes back down for visit, no one's really expecting such paranoia or unease from the Asgardian.

It's a bright and warm day, and Steve, Stefan, Caroline, Skye, Bonnie, and Bucky are having an impromptu BBQ atop Stark tower. The boys are lingering around the pit with beers in hand, and the girls are sitting beneath a deep blue canopy for some much needed shade and relaxation. One minute Bucky and Skye are trading digs at each other and the next, a sudden vortex of rainbow rays beam down from the sky just on the other side of the tower roof.

Bucky, Skye, and Bonnie are the only ones to tense and prepare for the worst but Steve waves them off with a grin. "Pretty sure it's a friendly Asgardian. It's just the Bifrost, guys. Calm down."

And sure enough, when the rainbow vortex disappears, Thor's left standing with his infamous hammer hanging limply in his grip. "Ah, friends!" He beams when he spots them. "What a wonderful welcoming," he says when he sees them gathered and cooking.

"Hey, Thor," Caroline and Steve greet.

The girls all stand, meeting the boys halfway across the roof where they meet Thor. Steve's quick to introduce the Asgardian to Bucky, Thor then jovially laughing when he finds out Bucky's yet another Soldier out of time, but the smile becomes grim when Steve goes on to explain that HYDRA had him and were using him as a weapon. At least until his conditioning broke and then Bucky sought the Avengers out for help which he's now getting.

Stefan surprisingly introduces himself when Thor's gaze lands on him, he then telling Thor that he's a friend of Caroline's from Mystic Falls. And when Thor's gaze turns curious as it darts between Stefan and Caroline, Stefan grins a fangy smile and Thor's laughing once more while clapping Stefan on the back and welcoming him into his circle of allies.

"And this," Caroline pipes up, stepping forward while dragging Bonnie and Skye forward by their wrists. "-is Bonnie. Another friend from Mystic Falls and the tower's resident witch."

"A Midgardian Sorceress!" Thor actually seems surprised, smiling nonetheless. "It pleases me to see my SHIELD brothers and sisters expanding comfort zones to add such wondrous minds to the team."

"Oh, uh, I'm just a college student," Bonnie stammers. "But I do help when magic is needed," she gulps when Thor's gazes bores into hers.

He smiles in understanding and then turns to the other person he'd yet to be introduced to. "And you? Are you a sorceress as well?"

"What?" Skye squeaks, her gaze falling from Thor's gaze to his amused grin, and then to his bulging muscles. "N-no. I'm- I'm not sure what I am, actually."

"Truly? How so?"

"I don't.. know what I am," Skye tells him again. "I was human not that long ago and then-"

"And then she was able to cause earthquakes and shock waves, and she's been a great help to the team," Steve speaks up.

Thor's brow furrow as he stares at the smaller woman before him. "And your parents? Surely they would have helped you through your.. transitioning?"

"Grew up in the foster system," she shrugs as if it's no big deal and avoids everyone's pity filled glance. "Escaped from there when I was old enough to look out for myself and got on SHIELD's radar when I started hacking them. When I was with SHIELD, I found out my mother was dead thanks to HYDRA and that my father was bat-shit insane intent on introducing me to my so-called destiny. From there, I was set on a path that led me being introduced to some weird mist, cocooned in a rock, and then.. this," she gestures to herself. "No one really knows what I am."

Thor seems a little too interested in her words now- though it's the type of interested that has Bucky on edge- and Thor then stands to his full height, his grip tightening on mjolnir with a clenched jaw. "The terrigen mist?"

"Yeah, that!" Skye's eyebrows raise in surprise. "You know what I am?"

"Aye," he gravely admits. "Your kind are dangerous and should not be alive."

Thor shifts so his body is angled with one foot ahead of the other, and Bucky, Caroline, and Stefan immediately find themselves standing between Skye and Thor. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," Caroline holds her hands up as if that would stop Thor from advancing as Bonnie pulls Skye to her side for added protection. "Skye's a friend; almost an Avenger! She's a good guy."

"Step down, Thor," Steve's _Captain America _voice issues the command. "Skye's one of us."

"She's an Inhuman," Thor grumbles even as he looks torn between dealing with the threat and believing his friends. He shifts uncomfortably, his gaze darting over all the protective stances before him and the Inhuman in question who looks uncertain of her place now. "Her kind were created by an alien race who call themselves the Kree. The Inhumans were created to be weapons but when the Kree saw how lethal and unruly their creations were, the Kree destroyed them."

"Not all of them," Skye mumbles sadly and Thor's gaze narrows on her. "My fa- Cal," she corrects herself. "-attacked myself, Caroline, and Bonnie a couple months back. He was working with people like me to kidnap me but we, uh, we-"

"We kicked their asses and Director Coulson has them in custody," Bonnie states proudly. "So if you're looking for trouble, you will not find it here. Skye's one of us. Her loyalty lies with SHIELD and the Avengers."

Thor doesn't look certain anymore and Skye takes that moment of uncertainty to push herself forward much to Bucky's dismay. "I mean no harm to these people.. or earth," she tells him, eyes pleading for him to believe her. "These people," she gestures behind her. "-these people are my family and I'd never do anything to intentionally hurt them."

Assessing the small Inhuman before him, Thor reluctantly nods and eases up, letting mjolnir hang limply once more. "Forgive me for being so bold, Lady Skye, but you must see where I come from."

"I do!" she blurts. "We've seen the not so friendly.. Inhumans- that's what you called us, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, yeah. Some of my kind can be dangerous and we've seen that first hand. But if you're looking for the bad ones, you won't find one here. Director Coulson, on the other hand, could probably use some Asgardian help with the ones he has."

"Aye. I shall send for Lady Sif to deal with them then." Offering his best sheepish smile, the group at Skye's back finally relax prompting Steve and Stefan to go check on the cooking meat. "And you, little one," Thor continues to address Skye. "-as long as you use your powers to fight against all evils and help protect Midgard, you shall be under my protection."

Skye's eyes bulge at the Prince of Asgard's statement, even more so when he fists his free right hand and crosses his arm over his chest so said fist will thump against the spot over his heart, and then briefly bowing. "Uh, okay?" And when Thor directs one of his brilliant, ecstatic smiles at her, Bonnie and Caroline can't help but laugh at Skye's blush.

Bucky glowers and quickly steals Skye away, leading her back towards the shade of the canopy as Caroline motions for Thor to follow to join the others where Steve is flipping hamburger patties.

"So what brings you down?" Steve finally asks. "Business or pleasure? If you wanna join us for the cookout, I'm sure Stefan wouldn't mind running down to the meat market to pick up more food."

"Wouldn't mind at all," Stefan lazily grins, saluting Thor with his bottle of beer. "Just say the word."

"Another time, my friends," Thor tells them. "I'm afraid I come bearing bad news." Caroline and Steve groan simultaneously, and Thor chuckles softly before sobering up. "The scepter- Loki's scepter- was in SHIELD's possession and it's just come to my attention that SHIELD was not what we believed."

Shaking his head, Steve sighs. "It wasn't.. but Coulson rebuilt it after we made it crash and burn. Some weapons have not been through inventory so we wouldn't know where the scepter is now."

"Hence my presence on Midgard," Thor gravelly admits. "Heimdall can't locate the scepter and he believes it to be in the hands of the enemy now; I believe you call them HYDRA." There's a curse off to the side and Bucky's striding towards the group with Skye on his heels. "Heimdall has _seen _some troubling things and has sent me to aide my fellow brothers and sisters in retrieving the scepter."

"Yeah, of course." Steve solemnly nods.

"Whatever you need," Bonnie then pipes up, grinning when Thor's startled gaze darts to her. "By any means necessary, we'll help out."

"Thank you, my friends."

* * *

With the news of Loki's scepter being somewhere out there in the clutches of HYDRA, the team throw themselves into trying to locate it. Not even the grand opening of Bonnie's shop- _EarthBound- _throws the team off their search but they do split up to show Bonnie some support and continue their search for the scepter.

Bruce, Bucky, Skye, and Thor stay at the tower while Tony, Pepper, Caroline, Steve, Stefan, Clint, and Natasha go and show their support for Bonnie.

Bruce does his best to scan anywhere and everywhere he can for signatures similar to the tesserect while also calling out a few favors to fellow scientists so they can calibrate their satellites to Bruce's liking. Skye hacks her way into whatever databases Bruce deems might have information they might need. Bucky spends his time reaching out to contacts that owe the Winter Soldier a favor, and Thor stands in the background overlooking everyone's progress while also telling Skye of what he knows about the Inhumans.

And on the other side of town, EarthBound has gathered quite the crowd thanks to Tony and Pepper's presence as well as a few tweets from Caroline. Being a well known event planner for Stark Industries had it perks, and if Caroline tweeted a picture of her and Steve standing in front of the decorated window, well then no one could blame her. After all, Bonnie's little shop needed the publicity if she wanted to gain loyal customers.

However, Tony and Pepper only stayed for the ribbon cutting Tony had said was absolutely mandatory, and for Pepper to shop around before purchasing some candles and lotions even though she already got everything for free at the tower. But Pepper wanted to do her part for her friend as well, she then allowing herself to be photographed with EarthBound's shopping bag clutched in hand as she answered a few questions about what the new little shop was all about.

Steve, Stefan, and Natasha manage to sneak up to the second story of the building- the entire floor having been dubbed _Magic Central _by Bonnie herself. There is one long dark brown sofa and two dark brown arm chairs sitting around a wooden coffee table in the middle of the floor, and the three walls are made up of floor to ceiling bookshelves- the entirety of these shelves being occupied by every book Bonnie owned about the supernatural realm and the creatures that live in it. Alaric had also donated all his notes, books, and journals that had been in his possession- he digitizing everything before handing them over- and then there are the average books on magic, myths, and superstitions that anyone could look at and just think that the shop owner was a little _eccentric_.

"Is it wise to have all these books up here for all to see?" Steve wonders. He and Stefan are relaxing on the armchairs after having mingled downstairs for a while, the both of them watching Natasha lean against the railing that overlooks the customers and her friends down below browsing the various items that are for sell.

"Definitely," Stefan grins. "Bonnie took precautions so there's no need to worry."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Every book has been magically bound to this floor. So if anyone tries to copy without Bonnie's consent or steal the actual book itself, wards flare and alert Bonnie to mischief. She has this place locked down tight."

"Of course, she does," Caroline huffs. Walking up the stairs, she flashes Natasha a smile before walking to Steve's chair and perching on the arm rest. "My best friend is a genius. Do you really think she'd leave all this precious information unprotected? I don't think so."

"Sweetheart," Steve greets. "How are things going downstairs?"

"Better than expected," she tells him, angling her body towards him and leaning her arm on the backrest. "Once people realized there's more than trinkets and jewelry to browse, and that Captain America is hiding somewhere, they became interested in the candles, sticks of essence, and lotions."

Steve grimaces and Stefan laughs at his discomfort. "Aren't you glad the second floor isn't open to the public yet, Cap?"

"Extremely. What's Clint doing down there?" he then directs at Caroline.

"The idiot is ringing up customers," Natasha drawls, answering instead as she glances at them over her shoulder. "I guess if life as an Avenger doesn't work out, he can always help in his best friend's shop."

Caroline giggles before pushing up to her feet, letting her had swipe against the back of Steve's head as she walks away. Steve and Stefan continue chatting, and Caroline sidles up to Natasha's side by the railing as they continue to people watch.

_"Bon-Bon, holy shi-" _an all too familiar voice screeches. Natasha and Caroline's gaze zero in on the excited female, Natasha then scowling at the familiar sight of Damon strutting in at Elena's side. _"I can't believe you own your own shop!"_

Lightly huffing, Natasha shifts her weight against the railing before zeroing in on something else.

"Not a fan of Elena and Damon, I take it?" Caroline murmurs.

"I tried to like them for your and Stefan's sake, but they're too selfish," the redhead answers, shrugging her shoulder. "Everyone's selfish every now and then but those two really take the cake." Caroline laughs again when Natasha then rolls her eyes as Elena continues to go on and on about what a cute little shop it is. "Dating one brother before hopping to the next would have been fine, especially since she broke it off with Stefan before dating Damon, but moving into the Boarding House- Stefan's only sanctuary- crossed the line."

"Yeah. That had to be awkward."

"Well," Natasha slowly grins. "I'm pretty sure Stefan paid them back for all the PDA we saw at the Boarding House."

"Really?" Now Caroline's grinning. "Do tell."

"Very. Loud. Sex."

Stefan unexpectedly snorts- that little eavesdropper!- and Caroline whirls around on him, index finger pointing accusingly and mouth agape with her eyebrows raised high. "You didn't?!"

"We did," Natasha laughs. Striding towards her lover, the redhead perches herself atop the arm rest to his chair while leaning across the back rest and draping herself at his back. "It was only fair since the library, kitchen, and the sitting area apparently doubled as their bedroom no matter if they had guests."

Nose crinkling in distaste, Caroline finds herself perched once more on the arm rest of Steve's chair before draping herself along the back rest just as Natasha had did. "Yeah, that sounds like them."

The foursome fall into a comfortable silence, letting the commotion of customers bustling about downstairs wash over them. There's a steady flow of customers coming and going, and the constant dinging of the cash register every time Clint or Bonnie ring someone up.

"So.. fifty says Clint threatens Damon for some comment he throws Bonnie's way by the end of the night."

"Fifty says he gets staked," Caroline and Natasha simultaneously say. And since the two girls have the same bet, they both look at each other, shrug, and say, "We'll split the winnings."

There's a hesitant pause before Stefan, Caroline, and Natasha dig out a fifty each from their pockets, and Steve chuckles at the three of them. And then one by one, everyone stares at Steve for his bet.

"You three are horrible. I'm not betting."

Silence.

Well, as much silence as one can get with the hustling and bustling of customers down below.

And then..

"..Define getting staked? Does using his bow and arrow count?"

"Hmm, no. But every other pointy object falls under Nat and I's jurisdiction," Caroline confirms.

"Fair enough," the Captain huffs. "Fifty on the bow and arrows coming out." Then leaning to the side so he can dig out his wallet and money, Steve tosses a fifty onto the coffee table with the other three bills. "Let the waiting game begin."

Caroline snorts at her boyfriend's sudden perkiness, she then rolling her eyes as Steve and Stefan stand and head for the railing, only then to crouch down and lay on their stomachs so they can keep watch of the happenings down below through the railing's wooden posts.

**xXx**

"Oh my god, Damon!" Elena screeches.

Caroline, Natasha, Steve, and Stefan scramble to their feet- the four them having migrated back to the sofa and chairs when Clint would only glare in Damon's direction every time the dark haired vampire gave a cheeky or snide remark to their witchy friend. Even though Damon and Bonnie were on good terms, old habits weren't so easy to drop, but that didn't mean that Clint was going to let them go as easily as Bonnie did. All he was waiting for was closing time so there weren't any civilian witnesses.

So when the four rush to the railing overlooking the first floor and peer down, they find Elena already tending to Damon's wounded ego as he pulls free _a letter opener _from his thigh, said male vampire glaring at an all too smug Clint, and Bonnie shaking her head rather fondly for her best friend just stabbing her other friend.

"Yes!" Caroline fist-pumps, causing the other four down below to glance up. "Letter opener falls under our bet. Nat and I win!"

* * *

**Only one more chapter to go.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Epilogue**

Caroline finds herself in Mystic Falls, sitting across from Elena in a booth away from the other patrons as they wait for their ordered lunch at Mystic Grill. The two girls had just come back from the cemetery, the both of them leaving flowers for Liz as the anniversary of her passing came upon them once more.

"I can't believe it's been another year," Elena mutters, absentmindedly twirling her straw in her glass of Coke. "Whenever I see one of the police cruisers pass by, I always expect your mom to wave."

Caroline smiles fondly, nodding along. "I know what you mean. Sometimes I forget what my life actually is now, and that I live at the tower, and I catch myself wondering what time I need to be home to make mom dinner."

Elena smiles sadly but before she can say anything, their burgers and baskets of fries are being placed in front of them. Their sodas are taken for a refill and when they're brought back nearly filled to the rim, both vampires have already dug into their food.

"So," Elena finally drawls, popping a french fry into her mouth. "-how's Steve and everyone else doing?"

"Steve's fine," Caroline answers. She sheepishly smiles at the thought of him and Elena can't help but laugh at how in love her friend is. "They're off hunting.. _HYDRA facilities_," she murmurs briefly. "-and looking for leads on something. As far as I know, they're having fun demolishing said facilities so nothing is salvageable."

"Well, I wouldn't say that, sweetheart." A figure plops down next to Caroline, making her squeak, and Elena chuckles only to choke on her fry. "You okay there, Elena?" Steve asks. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Steve!" Caroline beams, throwing her arms around her boyfriend even as he keeps his amused gaze on her friend.

"M'fine," the brunette vampire finally manages to say. "Hi, Steve," she then greets.

Steve bows his head in acknowledgement, grinning, and finally relaxes before sliding his arms around Caroline in a brief welcoming embrace. "What are you doing here?" the blonde wonders. "I thought you were working?"

"We were," he shrugs as they pull apart. "Finished up early yesterday evening." Caroline frowns as Elena continues listen while quietly eating her lunch, wondering why he didn't come sooner, and Steve chuckles before answering Caroline's obvious unasked question. "Nat made us sleep for more than a few hours before we came out here. We were dirty.. and bloody."

"Bloody..?"

"Few scrapes and bruises. Everything healed up within a few hours."

"Uh huh," Caroline hums. "And who's this _we _business you were talking about? Who all came?"

"Heya, doll." Bucky appears, plopping down in the only available spot next to Elena and across from Steve. He's smirking at Caroline, hair tied back in a small bun and reaches across the table to steal a few of her fries before cramming them in his mouth. When Caroline quirks an eyebrow in his direction, his head turns to Elena and his smirk drops. "Friend of Caroline."

"James," Elena greets just as tersely.

Caroline rolls her eyes, Steve snorts, and Bucky's back to reaching across the table for a few more fries and smirking once more. For the life of her, Caroline doesn't know why Bucky never took to Elena but she's not going to force a friendship. If they could both act civil to one another then there was no need for intervention.

"What brings you to Mystic Falls, Buck? Making sure Steve stays out of trouble?" she grins, taking one last bite of her burger before setting it back on her plate and pushing it towards him.

Steadying stealing fries, Bucky huffs in amusement when he sees the plate of half a burger being pushed towards him and accepts it. "Heard Stevie mention visiting your Ma and figured I'd tag along." Bucky takes a bite of burger, scowling at Steve who decided to take fries from the plate Caroline gave him. "Wanted.. wanted to meet the woman who birthed the girl that can bring Captain America down to his knees with just a few whispered words."

Elena snorts now, giggling, and Steve blushes.

Bucky finishes the burger with two more bites, chewing and swallowing before finishing off the fries since Caroline had given up on her lunch and started in on Elena's who was happily sharing. He allows himself to wink at his blushing best friend and waggle his eyebrows at the blonde vampire, he then actually asking if he can have a drink of her soda.

Allowing him, Caroline watches as Bucky takes a drink from her glass before his teasing grin settles into something more fond and serious. "Really wished I was there to meet your Ma, you know? Heard she raised one spectacular dame."

Caroline smiles and fondly shakes her head at her friend, she then waving down their waiter to order more food for the four of them.

**xXx**

Caroline, Elena, Steve, and Bucky are laughing- the girls listening as the boys tell them about the not-so-classified tidbits of their past couple of missions.

For starters, Natasha and Clint are no longer allowed to be _Team ANYTHING _because it always ended up with some type of competition that led to a shootout with the enemy- the numbers always being in favor of said enemy. Seriously, they were lucky they had a Hulk.

But then again, the same could be said for Clint and Bucky, or Bucky and Steve. Oh well, at least they came out on top.

Tony is no longer allowed to commandeer the radios. If they had to hear _T__he Boys Are Back In Town _one more time, Natasha was going to strangle someone with her thighs.

And Clint- Clint and Sam are no longer able to be alone together as well because they always tried to prove who the more superior bird was, and Barton's _Caw Caw Motherfucker _was grating on Bucky's every nerve.

Steve has just finished off Caroline's leftover hamburger and fries, chuckling and sipping his Coke when a familiar face pops up by their table. Caroline and Steve keep their friendly expressions on, Elena's giggles die down, and Bucky tenses.

"Director," both Caroline and Steve greet.

"Miss Forbes. Captain," Coulson smiles, a dossier tucked under his right arm. "Sergeant Barnes. Miss Gilbert."

Elena shifts uncomfortably at the man knowing her name, her gaze darting from Caroline to Steve before zeroing in on Bucky's hand that's now hovering over a butter knife. She elbows him gently, catching his startled gaze before he sneers down at her and places his hands in his lap. Director Coulson was not the enemy but he greatly despised it when there were surprise visits such as this.

"What can we do for you, Sir?" Steve asks.

"I was hoping to speak to Miss Forbes, actually."

"Oh." Caroline perks up and Steve starts shifting in his seat as if trying to make room for Coulson to sit. But seeing as the booth only sits four, it's impossible.

"I'll, um, go order us a round of drinks from the bar," Elena says. "You can have my seat, Sir."

Turning to Elena, Coulson smiles kindly. "I was actually hoping to speak with you as well, Miss Gilbert."

Elena's jaw drops, wide eyes darting to Caroline who still looks too perky given the fact this Coulson man knows Elena's name _and_ wants to speak with her as well. So taking this opportunity, Steve clears his throat and starts stacking their empty plates and empty baskets from where their fries were in.

"Come on, Buck," Steve attempts an easy going grin. "Lets save the staff here some work, and go get the Director and girls a drink from the bar."

Bucky grunts but starts to gather some of their dishes anyway, leaving their glasses of ice on the table and following Steve to the bar where one of the waiters takes the dishes from them. And back at the table, Coulson takes the seat vacated by Sergeant Barnes so he can look at Caroline from across the table since this discussion mostly involved the blonde vampire.

"Ladies," he greets once more, this time placing the dossier face down on the table space in front of him. "To make this talk go as quickly as possible, I'm going to get straight to the point."

"Okay..?" both vampires drawl. And now- now Caroline seems hesitant to be meeting with the Director.

"I want to start up another group- like the Avengers- but this group is going to be made up of super-powered or enhanced beings."

"W-what?" Caroline squeaks the same times Elena scoffs an, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Phil smiles. Turning over the dossier now, Elena and Caroline are faced with the SHIELD logo as well as the stamped _Project Valkyries_ in black block letters, and Phil pushes the dossier towards Caroline. "If you open it up, Miss Forbes, you'll find a few files on a few female candidates we've selected to be looked over. And if you choose to accept, I'll leave the judgement to you on who to bring onto the team."

"You're joking, right?" Elena murmurs. "What does this have to do with me?"

And now, the brunette vampire is back on edge. Surely Caroline didn't tell the agency about her. She's well aware that the Avengers got the lowdown on who was who in Mystic Falls, but this man- this man that she has no idea who he really is? No. Just.. no.

Phil's smile broadens and crap.. he _knows_. "Give me some credit, Miss Gilbert. As Director of SHIELD, it's my job to know who's who and who's _what _if they're in contact with any SHIELD personnel. Especially the Avengers."

Elena gulps and frowns, her gaze darting to Caroline who still appears to be in shock as she now skims through the pictures inside the dossier. And sure enough, Elena catches her picture inside along with a brunette she has no idea who it is. Bonnie's picture can be seen as well as- wait, was that Rebekah Mikaelson?!

"Natasha's not in here," Caroline finally mutters. "Why?"

"Because Natasha's already settled in quite nicely with the Avengers," Phil answers. Turning back to the blonde, he settles his hands atop the table and clasps his fingers together. "The Avengers will be taking on the threats that normal US military can't handle on their own to keep the Earth safe. But even then, there are some enemies that the Avengers are not suited for as you've seen with Loki and his alien army."

"And that's where these.. _Valkyries_ come in?" Caroline guesses.

"Yes. The Valkyries would step in only when the threat is of the supernatural and magical kind."

Elena's smart to remain quiet as the Director of SHIELD and Caroline have their stare down, the only sign of Caroline caving showing when her bottom lip worms it's way between her teeth.

Nervously chewing on it, the blonde groans and slams the dossier shut. "When I made myself known to the Avengers and Fury, I made it perfectly clear that I didn't want to be a superhero."

"But..?" Phil easily picks up her unfinished explanation.

"But I've seen the way Clint sometimes still becomes uneasy when witnessing his best friend perform magic. I've seen Natasha eye Bruce warily when he's not paying attention, and I've heard Tony babble about aliens and space, and how we've no chance against them." Slumping in her seat, Caroline sighs in defeat and pinches the bridge of her nose.

"So does this mean I have a captain for Project Valkyrie?"

"It means you've got a vampire who will give this project some serious thought. I'll contact you within the week. 'Cause after all, I take my duties very seriously at Stark Industries and I'm pretty sure Miss Potts will be severely pissed off with you for taking me away."

"I call it recruiting."

"So. Pissed," Caroline huffs.

Steve and Bucky show up with a round of drinks, and Coulson immediately stands. Both soldiers eye the dossier with slightly narrowed eyes, and Elena reaches for her dark drink and downs it one go. Grimacing, she misses the way Steve raises a brow in surprise at her and the way Bucky glares at Coulson.

"Gentlemen," Coulson nods his head politely. "I apologize for making you waste your money on me but it appears I must be going now."

Coulson then strides out of Mystic Grill with a bounce in his step and Elena's already reaching for the drink Coulson left behind. "Gimme."

Steve hands it over, his worried gaze then shooting to Caroline- his girlfriend who's eyeing her friend with amusement dancing in her eyes. "Elena? You okay?"

"Hmm? What? No," the brunette shakes her head when she realizes what Caroline said. "I'm not- I didn't want this life, Care, so what makes you think I want to live a life that's pretty much going to be constant war?"

"Someone mind telling me what the hell's going on?" Bucky growls. He might not like the brunette but if the vampire is freaked out, something must be up.

"Not here," Caroline tells him immediately. And then turning to face Elena once more, she smiles sadly. "It's okay to say no, you know? If you want to give me your decision now, I'll gladly burn your file once I get to a fireplace."

Elena shakily agrees, nodding along. "Yeah, okay. I'm sorry but my answer's no."

"Okay."

"What the hell's going on?" Steve finally asks. "And what's Project Valkyrie?"

"Something that shouldn't be discussed out in the open," Caroline says. "Coulson took a risk, and since we've been here a while, I think it's best if we leave and discuss this in private."

Steve's already slipping out his wallet without any encouragement, he dropping more than enough money on the table to cover their bill. And not wanting her drink to go to waste, Caroline downs her alcoholic beverage without even batting an eye, and Bucky and Steve do the same.

Once outside the Grill, Elena parts ways with the trio and Caroline wishes her friend a safe trip home while also reminding her to not speak about anything that was spoken of with Director Coulson. Since Elena already gave her answer about becoming a superhero, there was no need the brunette vampire to be discussing the little project with anyone else.

"Now will you tell us what's going on?" Bucky impatiently asks.

And Caroline grins impishly. "Sorry, Buck, but this is top secret stuff. Let's head over to Steve's vacation home and I'll tell you all about it."

Bucky huffs but follows nonetheless.

**xXx**

The vacation home ends up being Caroline's childhood home that's now under Steve, Natasha, and Clint's name, and Bucky can't help but grin when he's filled in on Caroline's connection to the home and why she had to sign it away.

Once they're settled down in the living room, Caroline curls into Steve's side on the sofa while Bucky relaxes into the armchair. She takes a deep breath and then tells the two soldiers just what Coulson was doing in Mystic Falls and what Project Valkyrie is all about.

Silence falls when Caroline finishes telling them, and it's Steve who breaks it with a dejected sigh. "You're doing it, aren't you?"

Caroline's bottom lip once again finds itself sucked between her teeth and Bucky yawns dramatically, and stretches. "Woo. You know what, I think I'm gonna go check the backyard before heading up to bed." He stands to his feet, smirking lightly at his two friends. "You two don't have too much fun now."

Caroline waits until she hears the back door shut behind Bucky, she then shifting so she's looking up at Steve. "Would it really be so bad?"

"You tell me," Steve shrugs. "I remember you said you didn't want this when we found out that vampires existed."

"Yeah but that feels so long ago," she sighs. "Things change."

Steve takes a moment to mull over everything that Caroline told them about Project Valkyrie, he knowing deep down that it was better to have a second line of defense that could deal with things the Avengers weren't equipped to. So letting reason sway his decision, he offers Caroline a fond smile. "Whatever you decide, sweetheart, I'll support."

And breathing out a heavy sigh of relief, Caroline chastely places a kiss on his lips. "Thank you."

* * *

Caroline, Steve, and Bucky spend a few more days in Mystic Falls- Bucky falling into Matt's good graces and vice versa whenever they pick up lunch and dinner at the Grill. And while Bucky and Steve familiarize themselves with the small town being incognito and all, Caroline plops herself down at the kitchen table with a beer not too far from her hand and Project Valkyrie files spread before her.

Bonnie is her first call what with the witch being her best friend, but it's Bonnie's words of wisdom and ability to think things through for the long run that has Caroline calling her first. There's no beating around the bush and Caroline drops the proposition as soon as Bonnie mutters out a _hello. _And surprisingly, Bonnie actually thinks it's a good idea for the Avengers to have a second line of defense.

Caroline had figured the witch would be on the fence about it all what with EarthBound doing quite well nowadays, but when Bonnie admits she misses the busy days of Mystic Falls, Caroline can't help but laugh. 'Cause while she loves working for Stark Industries, she, too, has missed the adrenaline filled days of her hometown. So while Bonnie starts muttering about which employee of hers is the most trusted, Caroline lets her go to call Skye. And Skye- Skye jumps at the chance right away. 'Cause while being an Avenger was pretty sweet, being a Valkyrie sounded even cooler.

With two down and one to go, it's actually Bucky who pushes Caroline to place the call to Rebekah. Having been hesitant because of their rocky past, Bucky assures Caroline that the blonde Original is just misunderstood. Always being in her family's shadow or being overly protected by her brothers had led the blonde astray. And since she didn't have sisters or true friends because of her brothers, Rebekah didn't know how to act half the time or even know how to put herself out there to make friends.

So waiting another day, Caroline makes the call to the Original. Of course, Rebekah had greeted her by being snobby and saying that if she wanted to speak with Klaus then she had the wrong number, but Caroline remembers Bucky's words and pushes her annoyance to the side.

After asking Rebekah if she has a moment- and privacy- the Original seems to take things more seriously. The first thing she asks is if James is okay, and after Caroline assures her that he is, Rebekah will forever deny the sudden breath of relief that whooshed out of her. And once Caroline informs her about Project Valkyrie, Rebekah hums and asks more about it.

Rebekah likes the idea after realizing that she can help keep the more human side of the Avengers, _coughBUCKY!cough, _safe from magic and agrees. But only if they have some way to keep their identities hidden because the last thing she needs was people in New Orleans recognizing her.

Caroline agrees with that also because she's not going to give up her duties with Pepper, but also tells Rebekah that they'd be reporting somewhat to Coulson so she'd have to ask him.

**xXx**

Caroline has been given a couple months off of work from SI since Pepper was set to travel the world to put in a good word for SI, and also because Tony's making major changes to the top of the tower to add in an Avenger's lair, and Bonnie leaves her shop in the hands of a trusted employee but only because Clint and Stefan check-in everyday to make sure things are running smoothly.

And a week later, Coulson's very excited to see agent Morse and Hunter walking Caroline, Bonnie, Skye, and Rebekah into HQ after having been picked up from New York and New Orleans.

Skye's excited to see her friends again, she happily introducing everyone to her new family and Rebekah though she couldn't tell just anyone why exactly they were there. Only the higher ups and a few select agents who were recruited to help train the girls knew about Project Valkyrie.

So for months, the girls give their all in training- each of them needing to pass tests for weapons and hand-to-hand- while also giving input to what they want their own personal suit to look like.

Skye excels in training since she'd been doing exactly that before coming into her powers, Caroline comes in at close second because she had Liz who took her shooting when she was younger and learned fighting techniques from the Avengers, and it was surprisingly Rebekah who picked everything up third. Bonnie, however, struggled since she relies on magic but with some practice and tips from her friends, all four women pass their needed tests. Though with weapons training, Coulson lets them try out a variety of weapons so they can have something other than a gun strapped to their thighs if things get sticky and their powers failed them.

Skye is most comfortable with two guns and her quakes. Bonnie favors throwing daggers, her issued gun, and her magic. Rebekah shows great technique with a sword so along with her issued gun, she has a sword holstered and sheathed along the spine of her back plus her vampire abilities. And Caroline, Caroline falls in love with agent Morse's baton sticks and gets her very own from said agent although Caroline's are shock batons. So along with her issued gun and vampire abilities, shock batons are sheathed in Caroline's sleeves so they're easy to slip into her hands when needed.

* * *

Deemed mission ready should the need now arise, the four Valkyries are packing up their bags to be flown back to the shiny new Avenger lair.

"How long are you staying with us in New York before heading back to New Orleans?" Skye asks Rebekah, tossing the Original a pair of shorts that had borrowed from said Original.

Over their months at SHIELD HQ, the girls were forced to bond and air out any grudges they had against each other for the sake of their team dynamic actually working. Rebekah, Bonnie, and Caroline were the only ones who butted heads, and Skye sometimes got a kick out of the digs they took at each other. But it wasn't until a month later when agent May gave them all a mental shakedown did the girls start bonding, and actually trusting each other.

Turns out, with Rebekah away from her brothers and Klaus' devious plans, the only female Original was actually pretty decent and had some great stories from when she wasn't kept daggered.

"I'll be there for three days before heading back home."

"Got to check in with the devil in disguise?" Bonnie smirks. Pausing briefly in her packing, she stands straighter and frowns. "What _does _your brother think you're doing, by the way? Did you tell him about being a part-time superhero?"

"No," Rebekah scoffs, a light grin flashing in Bonnie's direction. "'lijah, on the other hand, knows what I'm doing. He's the one who helped me with a cover story of travelling Europe so Nik wouldn't attempt to send his little minions after me or have a witch track my whereabouts."

"I can help with that, you know," Bonnie tells her. "I can spell you something to wear so other witches can't track you."

"Yeah. I'd like that," the Original smiles sweetly after giving it a moment to think about it.

The girls go back to packing their bags- their lockers almost empty- when agent Morse strides into the locker room, a tablet in hand. "Ladies," she greets. "-hate to be the bearer of bad news but.. suit up."

"W-what?!" Caroline squeaks, whirling on the blonde agent.

"You heard me," agent Morse laughs. Turning the tablet around, the four Valkyries are faced with a screen and a red banner flashing across it. They don't second guess again, all four of them dumping out their bags and suiting up as agent Morse continues to explain. "When an Avenger sounds the alarm, Coulson gets an alert, too, so we know what's going on and where in case backup is needed. And going through the report, it seems that HYDRA finally made a mistake while they were transporting something they shouldn't have, and Dr. Banner picked up signatures eerily similar to that of the tesserect. We're not taking chances with the scepter again and we're definitely not taking chances with whatever cloaking device they might be using."

Rebekah and Caroline are the first to finish dressing, agent Morse directing her attention to them as they holster their guns, sword, and shock batons. "You ladies finish up. The quinjet leaves in five."

"Understood," both Caroline and Rebekah nod once in understanding.

Agent Morse takes her leave just as Skye's zipping up her old agent uniform complete with a cowl-like scarf, and Bonnie's pulling on her long sleeve top with net sleeves and cutouts on her shoulders. Caroline had adopted the outfit she once wore when she helped Captain America take down SHIELD, and Rebekah felt most at ease in a long sleeve leather top to go with her skinny leather pants.

Boots laced up, and guns and daggers holstered, Rebekah hands out their black eye masks to don before all four are striding out of the locker room. Baby agents and Scientists scramble out of the four-some's way, the four Valkyries finding the quinjet with a minute to spare.

And once up in the air, Bonnie knocks her knee into Caroline's. "So," she drawls. "-this isn't the life you expected when you left for New York and started working for Stark Industries."

"Nope," Caroline pops the 'p', agreeing.

"Regret it?"

Allowing herself a moment to think on it, Caroline's lips curve into a self-satisfied smirk. "Not for a second."

**xXx**

Clint's the last to show up in the newly appointed War Room, fiddling with his quiver of arrows before joining everyone already suited up around the holo-table.

"Okay, Brucey, show us what you got," Tony claps his hands together excitedly.

Fiddling with his glasses, Bruce sighs at Tony's obvious excitement before settling the lenses on the bridge of his nose once more. "As you all know, the hunt for Loki's scepter has been futile. Until today, that is." Bruce taps away at the glass table where a touch keyboard sits, a hologram of Eastern Europe popping up before everyone. "It seems that whoever holds the scepter, they finally made a mistake during transport. Approximately ten minutes ago, signatures that are similar to that of the tesserect started pouring in, and were on the move only to stop and then disappear in Sokovia."

"Sokovia," Clint huffs. "Talk about random."

"So off to Europe we go," Tony assumes. "Cap," he then turns to Steve who's staring intently at the hologram map. "-what's the call on this?"

"We do what needs to be done," he tells them. "That scepter is only safe when it's locked up tight."

"Mhmm," Tony hums. "We got that. But I just wanna hear you say it. You got to say it."

Natasha rolls her eyes, powering up her Widow Bites as Clint chuckles and Bruce shakes his head in annoyance though the small tilt of his lips shows his amusement. Thor and Bucky are standing against the back wall, both grinning at the Captain and waiting to hear the words as well.

With a huff, Steve sighs. "Avengers, as-"

_DING!_

Tony groans at the missed opportunity, he wanting to hear the _Avengers, assemble! _command ever since the toy company made little action figure Captain America speak it. So turning to scowl at the elevator and occupants that dare interrupt his moment, his scowl turns into a gape as their friends step off one by one. "Look at all that leather," he mutters in awe.

Steve smirks as Caroline leads the group, she smiling sweetly and shrugging very innocently. "What? Did you really think we'd sit this one out? The scepter of doom needs to be handled very delicately and there's no telling who or what's guarding it."

"Question," Clint pipes up and Bonnie's gaze turns into a glare. Clint opening his mouth at this specific moment can not be good. "Can the girls join us every mission? I'm really, _really _liking these outfits." And yep. She expected that.

"Agreed," Bucky rumbles, eyes roaming over a laughing Skye.

"If you're done ogling, we've a got a weapon to pick up," Rebekah reminds them.

Natasha snorts as Steve startles, Captain America then tearing his gaze away from his girlfriend as a blush colors the tip of his ears. "Right.. right," he clears his throat. And then getting himself under control, he stares everyone in the eye..

"Valkyries, Avengers.. assem-"

* * *

**Cue Avenger theme song.**

**If Joss Whedon can do it, SO CAN I! Lol. Seriously, when I saw AOU and the ending cut off where it did, I was like, "WHAT?! FUCKING SERIOUSLY?!". I didn't take it too well. And then I got to thinking that, "hmmm, I'm gonna end a fic like that someday", and here it is.**

**So sadly, this is the end. If, and only if, I come up with an idea for Steve/Caroline then it will be included with this series. Or if I come up with one of the Valkyries taking on Wanda and/or Pietro. ****But as far as I'm concerned, this is the end so thanks for sticking around this long.**

**Also, if you've read my fic "Fix You" with the mutant!OC and ENJOYED IT, be on the lookout for something with that mutant!OC again coming in a couple days ;)**


End file.
